Image Before I get to a full discussion on the results of the 21st Annual Worthams NCAA Men’s Basketball Bracket, let me say how proud I am to be a Michigan Fan.  There are a number of folks who will say I’m no more than a Walmart Wolverine because I am not an alumnus of the University of Michigan.  To those folks I say, “Screw you … I bleed Maize and Blue, just as much as I bleed Brown and Gold.” There are many times, usually when I’m driving through Ann Arbor , that I wish I was able to get the money together to attend Michigan.  I think of the things I missed, things like walking the Diag, spending time in the Law Library, being a part of the “Keg Party” in a run for the Student Government, multiple games in the Big House.  Those are regrets, but I don’t regret having them because WMU treated me well. But I will always shout “GO BLUE” as loud as I can.  Call me a Walmart Wolverine if you want, but then you can kiss my tuckus right after you do. This group of Wolverine basketball players exceeded expectations that were written and re-written time and time again over the last three weeks.  I didn’t have them getting past Florida in my bracket (although I did write up a joke bracket that had an all B1G Ten Final Four).  This team did wonderful things.  They were great to watch and they were great to watch because they mark the start of something good. Mitch Albom put it best in today’s column: “Whoa, Blue. Yes, the Wolverines just lost the championship game. But think of what else they’ve just done. Before you can be champions, you have to be relevant. And for too many years, Michigan basketball wasn’t even relevant. It was a program of shadows and lowered banners and dragging history. Now, that’s gone. Michigan is a first-rate school with first-rate facilities and a Final Four pedigree. Fans have every right to expect that standard from here on in.” Whoa Blue!  GO BLUE! #HAIL NOW ON TO THE WRAP UP OF 21ST ANNUAL WORTHAMS NCAA BRACKET: Congrats to my boy Andy Bills (the Best Man at my wedding) for winning this year’s event.  We have to check the historical records, but he may be the first repeat winner of the Worthams’ Bracket (I think he won the 6th Annual event way back in the day)!  Also congrats to Elspeth Coats for 2nd place and John Ferguson for 3rd. Here are some highlights:

  • 1st Place – Andy Bills – 37/63 picked right for 1070 points
  • 2nd Place – Elspeth Coats – 40/63 picked right for 960 points
  • 3rd Place – John Ferguson – 39/63 picked right for 950 points
  • 4th Place – Ryan Bruce – 39/63 picked right for 940 poitns
  • 5th Place – Emily Elliot – 41/63 picked right for 930 points

For the family competition:

  • 6th Place – Niki with 38/63 picked right for 930 points
  • 40th Place – Alex with 36/63 picked right for 570 points
  • 42nd Place – Dave “I HATE BASKETBALL” Worthams with 33/63 picked right for 550 points
  • 53rd Place – Alex’s 2nd Bracket with 33/63 picked right with 480 points
  • 61st Place – Cristiana with 26/63 picked right with 410 points

Congrats to all the folks who placed and we’ll see you next year! AND GO BLUE!!!! EDITED TO INCLUDE FULL RESULTS WITH POINTS:

  1. Andy Bills – 1070 – Louisville
  2. Elspeth Coats – 960 – Louisville
  3. John Ferguson – 950 – Louisville
  4. Ryan Bruce – 940 – Louisville
  5. Do I Really Have A Clue (unknown) – 930 – Louisville
  6. Niki Worthams – 930 – Louisville
  7. Neil Johnson – 920 – Louisville
  8. Jason Benton – 920 – Louisville
  9. Cheryl Satterwaite – 920 – Louisville
  10. Pat Green – 920 – Louisville
  11. Wile E. Wolverines – 920 – Louisville
  12. Scott Greenlee – 910 – Michigan
  13. Gary Naeyaert – 910 – Louisville
  14. Jason Horvath – 860 – Louisville
  15. Patricia Herndon – 850 – Louisville
  16. Karen Kragt – 840 – Louisville
  17. Emily Elliot – 820 – Louisville
  18. Todd Hufford – 780 – Kansas
  19. Scott Greenlee – 770 – Indiana
  20. Matt DeWolf – 760 – Indiana
  21. Matt Dewolf – 740 – Michigan
  22. Dan Harris – 710 – Michigan State
  23. John Hagan – 710 – Indiana
  24. T. Burke & the Funky Bunch (unknown) – 700 – Indiana
  25. Mike DeRenzio – 700 – Michigan
  26. Todd Hufford – 690 – Ohio State
  27. Angela Clock – 680 – Gonzaga
  28. Rohan Marion – 670 – Florida
  29. Tom McCallister – 650 – Miami (Fl)
  30. Meng Xiong – 640 – Indiana
  31. Mike Cross – 640 – Gonzaga
  32. Brad’s Best Bracket (unknown) – 640 – Florida
  33. Mike Cross – 620 – Indiana
  34. Andrew Hoard – 590 – Michigan State
  35. Dan Harris – 590 – Indiana
  36. Bob Webster – 580 – Gonzaga
  37. Mike Kragt – 580 – Indiana
  38. Bill Cross – 570 – Michigan State
  39. Dave Marion – 570 – Miami (Fl)
  40. Alex Hinton – 570 – Michigan State
  41. Andrew Hoard – 560 – Michigan State
  42. Dave Worthams – 550 – Indiana
  43. Angela Clock – 530 – Indiana
  44. Corey Watt – 530 – Georgetown
  45. Mariah Davis – 530 – Gonzaga
  46. Jason Nobbs – 520 – Duke
  47. Eric Schmidt – 520 – Ohio State
  48. Andy Schor – 520 – Indiana
  49. Tom Irwin – 520 – Indiana
  50. John Hagan – 500 – Illinois
  51. Jason Betton – 500 – Duke
  52. Pat Green – 480 – Iowa State
  53. Alex Hinton – 480 – Michigan State
  54. Craig Schietecatte – 480 – Kansas
  55. Mike DeRenzio – 480 – Duke
  56. Tom Irwin – 470 – Indiana
  57. Sam’s Bracket (Unknown) – 460 – Gonzaga
  58. Fay Poissant – 460 – Gonzaga
  59. Deb Cross – 440 – Indiana
  60. Julie White – 410 – Indiana
  61. Cristiana Worthams – 410 – California
  62. Neil Johnson – 400 – Michigan State
  63. In An Almost Perfect World (Unknown) – 400 – Michigan State
  64. Eric Schmidt – 290 – Butler
  65. Joelle Demand – 0 (forgot to get picks in time) – Nobody
  66. Corey Watt – 0 (forgot to get picks in time) – Nobody