Many of you have participated in the RandBall NCAA pool over the past two years. Some of you might have even won excellent prizes, including gift cards and a Minnesota Twins 1987 World Series DVD box set. Why should this year be any different? Do you like prizes? Do you like basketball? Do you like filling in names of schools with blatant disregard for knowledge -- with the same randomness and whimsy as choosing between bacon or sausage at your favorite breakfast place. (FALSE! We choose HAM! Does that mean Northern Iowa should be our sleeper?).
Well here's the thing: We've created a NEW group this year. Clean slate. It's called "RandBall's Redacted Group." And the twist with this group is we've altered the scoring mechanism (which sounds like it could be a euphemism, but we assure you it is not). In addition to a win in each round increasingly being worth more points (1 point, 2 points, 4 points, 8 points, 16 points and 32 points in the end for the title game), we have added a bonus to each game in the form of a "plus-seed." If you correctly pick No. 11 Minnesota, for instance, to win in the first round, you will get 1+11 or 12 points. If you correctly pick No. 6 Xavier, you will get 1+6 or 7 points. Risk-reward.
We haven't decided on the exact prize this year, but rest assured: we have a deep and abiding prize vault. This is a winner-take-all proposition. A major award to the winner only. If you want to play, just click this link and use the password, which of course is redacted.
Let's do this! You might want to hold off just a little while, though. Up next in a couple hours is an NCAA tournament preview from a very special guest.
