Pool of 42: 30th Anniversary Edition​

The 2025 Final Four is now set - and the top teams remaining are the same as the top teams when the tournament began - with all four #1 seeds making it to the final weekend. In the opener, Houston held Tennessee to just 15 first-half points, more than doubling their output in the process. The Cougars have reached the semi-finals 7 times in school history, but have yet to cut down the nets. They were on the losing end of the never-giving-up NC State improbable upset win in 1983, as they watched the buzzer-beating alley-"oops" dunk from Lorenzo Charles crush their hopes. The very next year, they were back in the championship game - this time falling to Patrick Ewing and Georgetown, in the final tournament before the field expanded to 64 teams. The Cougars will be looking to return to the championship game for the first time in over 30 years. Meanwhile, Auburn ensured there would be an SEC team in the title game, as they defeated Michigan State to set up a match-up with conference rival Florida. The Tigers are making only their second trip to the Final Four, with their prior appearance in 2019. The six point victory over the Spartans was the smallest margin for Auburn, having won the previous 3 games by double figures. Star Auburn forward Johni Broome had to cut down the net in Atlanta with his left hand* as he fell hard on his right shoulder halfway through the second half. He was able to return to finish out the game, though his right arm swung limply at his side most of the time (and the Auburn faithful were begging Bruce Pearl to take him out with the outcome of the game clear).
In the Pool of 42, we have some late season drama playing out. Coming down the stretch, Joan Ganton needed Michigan State to hit one more 3 pointer to jump pool leader Catherine Bopp. The Spartans were took one final triple that seem to curl over the front of the rim and then fall back through the basket. The bonus points have Joan just enough to leap over Catherine. Unfortunately for both of them, Charles Santanna had both Houston and Michigan State, so he vaulted from back in the pack all the way to first. He now holds a 94.8 lead over Joan and a 97.9 point lead over Catherine. With Houston still alive, the opportunity for negative points is still very much alive. If they score 76 or more in both the semi-final and final, Joan will take her spot at the top of the standings for the first time this year. However, if Houston has a high scoring output and someone scores exactly 72 points (something that has happened 5 times in this tournament), then Catherine would regain her top spot. Denis McCarthy is the highest ranking player with Auburn - but sitting 232.2 points off the lead, his work is cut out for him. There's been craziness in the home stretch of the Pool of 42 before, so you never know if one of these Sleepers can pull out the last minute victory.
At the bottom of the pool, Adam Hudnut-Beumler is looking to complete his near wire-wire victory. It will probably take a Duke v. Florida final in which both teams keep their scores below 75 in both the semi-final and the championship.  Yesterday's game was the first time that happened to Auburn in this year's tournament, while Duke has not scored fewer than 85. Dave Pettit is barely breathing sitting idle outside the bottom two.
While Catherine Bopp has been displaced from the overall lead, she still holds the "most regular" points lead. Will Sargisson is still cruising with his bonus points, while Bill Lynch's teams continue their actual point scoring prowess. Expert prognosticators Charlie and Maeve Dowd have an impressive 3.4 points, putting them in the lead for the closest to zero score. While Joan Ganton fights for her life at the top of the pool, Brian Ganton has taken up the spot of ambivalence, equidistant from first and last. Details of the mystery prize will be coming soon, so stay tuned!
Tom Groth is the only entrant to have 3 Final Four Teams. Given the all #1 seed semi-finals, it would not have been possible to still have 4 teams remaining. 73% of the pool have at least one team that is still dancing. 
Tonight, the women's tournament will try to fall suit and complete a #1 seed sweep to the Final Four, which would mark the first time both men's and women's tourneys have only top seeds in the same year. I will send a supplementary score update tomorrow reflecting the changes for those with the Spice Girls bonus.
Current scores are below with complete standings attached.

Name TOTAL
POINTS
Charles Santanna 1066.8
Joan Ganton 972
Catherine Bopp 968.9
Mary Ellen DePaul 926.25
Larry Kriz 894.8
Jack Schreiber 856.65
Denis McCarthy 1 834.55
Robert Cappuzzo 828.75
Michael Boyan 827.6
Monica Heffernan 816.9
Pat Regan 807.35
Lainie Gussman 781.2
Mike Miniaci 740.8
Jaklyn Limoges 737.3
Uncle Jack McDonald 685.6
Kerri Luftman 674.8
Mike Vogel 668.4
Natalie Luftman 655.6
Omar Azar 651.4
Molly Wagner 633.5
Dominic Sembello 605.9
Tony Miniaci 586.6
Kerry Farrell 577.35
Andrea Pellicciari 572.35
Michael Schoendorf 567.8
Mary Ellen Groth 567.3
Lisa Ito 559.45
Eryn Payne 551.8
John Englert 551.4
Alisha Schreiber 545.6
Patrick Steines 544.3
Lauren Gentile 542.8
Vin Hubner 537.3
Kevin Schessler 536.15
Mark Gruber 530
Lynn Delaney 526.7
Jim McCarthy 526.1
Big Sean Farrell 519.55
Lauren Schreiber 505.65
Pete Bine 501
Ean Steinberger 498.6
Nabeel Azar 495.95
Matt Solow 481.2
Derek Landel 475.85
Jackie Farrell 468.55
Brian Pierpont 462.1
Kurt Thiemann 459
Katie Schreiber 452.85
Dave Marchisin 452.6
Brian Leamy 452.4
Sarah Ganton 450.2
Denis McCarthy 2 447
Funkle & Steph 446
Brian Redington 428.8
Salina McLaughlin 428.1
Michael Patti 426.3
Josh Meyer 425.45
Jose Alvarez 419.6
Michael Martin #1 413
Aunt Cathy McDonald 407.1
Kevin Payne 407
Andrew Limoges 395.7
Pat Appello 395.15
Joshua Deckner 393.85
Killer B's 393.3
Jason Gaddy 383.5
Dan Voicescu 380.4
Sam Matthews 374.4
Randy Rutherford 374.05
Bob Corcoran 372.3
Matt Henrikson 367.4
Don Chiossi 365.6
Aaron Gottesfeld 362.4
Molly Farrell 362.25
Kyle Cassara 360.8
Victoria Keisler 355.75
Leo Dorfman 354.6
Will Sargisson 349.8
Brian Ganton 349.75
Michael Martin #2 348.9
Bobby Robertson 344.8
Christopher Davis 338
Rodney Dopp 336.6
Laura Spiegelman 327
Patrick Keisler 324.7
Caroline Schreiber 324.1
Mike Negley 318.9
Kelly Hirano 315.1
Ray Lacho 315
Kim Huang 304.65
Dave Luftman 298.2
Bob Hopper 1 287.25
Tom Melton 285.8
Brian Thiemann 261
Max Deckner 247.95
Kevin Park 244
Meri Schreiber 239.1
Julia Ford 232.1
Giuseppe Randazzo 218.55
Laurie Roche 217.5
Jason Schreiber 212.45
Jeremy Schreiber 204.75
Ethan Deckner 202.8
Rhonda Veugen 195.4
Alina Svizzero 179.8
Matthew Schreiber 178
Jakub Stosik 173.6
Steph Dowd 164.25
Mike Pinbell 162.5
Dave "Blue Anger" Pettit 1 158.8
Bob Wagner 143.25
Seany Farrell 141.75
Mike Heffernan 136.65
Paul Schreiber 125.6
Chris Pierpont 118.6
Mike Bopp 117.3
Thom Terrific 115
Eric Fishman 110.9
Michael Deckner 97.5
Philip R. DePaul 82.8
Ben Tobin 81.9
Mark Sanicki 80.9
Massimo Randazzo 72.2
Ryan Heffernan 48.2
Neal Griffin 26.1
Charlie & Maeve Dowd 3.4
Mavis Mai -26.2
Ryan Flynn -33.05
Greg Nilles -81.9
Ben Benoit -84.1
Corwin Rhyan -90.2
Bill Scarpinato -134
Mario DePollo -136
Michael Schreiber -144.3
Zac Favreau Smith -154.5
Manny Delarosa -161.5
Connor Gentile-DePaul -171.3
Dave Miller -178
Daniela Randazzo -185.5
Lorenzo Quiogue -185.9
Jillian DePaul -207.6
Philip G. DePaul -208.15
Bob Hopper 2 -231.3
Bill Lynch -247.2
Brian Bharwani -264.4
Tom Groth -271.85
Juliana Jackson -279
Shubhro Biswas -312.7
Nick Hurt -315
Kyle "Kramer" Charters -330.2
Big Things Poppin Pohlen -342
Luke Schreiber -361.6
Admiral Tom Pohlen -396.3
Eileen Rosa -436.65
Dave "Blue Anger" Pettit 2 -512.7
Donald DeCaro -662
Adam Hudnut-Beumler -812.55
Thanks,
-j

*He is actually left-handed, but it sounded more poetic to say he was forced to use his left hand