There's a change at the top of the leaderboard as Ryan Kerrigan has replaced Stephen Paea in first place. An interesting note, just three players have their eventual National Champion left playing. Here's an update following the Elite Eight as we head to the Final Four in Indianapolis this Saturday.
1. Outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan – 910 points
MAJOR WINS: 7 Michigan St. over 4 Louisville; 1 Duke over 2 Gonzaga; 1 Wisconsin over 2 Arizona
MAJOR LOSSES:1 Kentucky over 3 Notre Dame
ANALYSIS: If not for the fact that he had his alma mater, Purdue, winning the National Championship Game, Kerrigan's margin over Paea would be much greater. At any rate, three of his four Final Four teams have made it this far. His most intriguing matchup this round is Michigan State versus Duke, and he has the seventh-seeded Spartans moving on to the Championship Game.
2. Defensive lineman Stephen Paea – 870 points
MAJOR WINS:1 Wisconsin over 2 Arizona; 1 Duke over 2 Gonzaga
MAJOR LOSSES:7 Michigan State over 4 Louisville; 1 Kentucky over 3 Notre Dame
ANALYSIS:In his bracket, Paea had half of the actual Final Four eliminated by the end of the Elite Eight. He predicted that Michigan State would get knocked off in the Round of 32 while Kentucky's perfect bid would come to an end in the Elite Eight to Kansas. Of course, the Jayhawks were eliminated by Wichita State in the Round of 32, so his bracket is, essentially, in shambles. At any rate, he's got half the Final Four correct with Duke and Wisconsin.
3. Offensive lineman Chris Chester – 820 points
MAJOR WINS:1 Kentucky over 3 Notre Dame; 1 Duke over 2 Gonzaga
MAJOR LOSSES:1 Wisconsin over 2 Arizona; 7 Michigan St. over 4 Louisville
ANALYSIS:In the East Region of his bracket, Chester didn't even have Louisville and Michigan State playing each other in the Elite Eight. And after Virginia – a team he picked to get to the Championship Game – was eliminated in the Round of 32, only half of his Championship Game is still in play. With Kentucky as the overall winner, Chester's bracket still has a chance to end on a high note.
4. Outside linebacker Jackson Jeffcoat – 750 points
MAJOR WINS:1 Kentucky over 3 Notre Dame; 1 Duke over 2 Gonzaga
MAJOR LOSSES:7 Michigan State over 4 Louisville; 1 Wisconsin over 2 Arizona
ANALYSIS: Much like his offensive teammate, the East Region proved to be costly for Jeffcoat, who predicted that it would Virginia and Villanova, not Michigan State and Louisville, in the Elite Eight. His dream of a Tobacco Road Rivalry rematch in the Championship Game came to an end in the Sweet Sixteen, as Wisconsin knocked off the Tar Heels, Jeffcoat's eventual champion.
5. Managing Editor Redskins.com Andrew Walker – 710 points
MAJOR WINS: 1 Kentucky over 3 Notre Dame
MAJOR LOSSES: 7 Michigan State over 4 Louisville; 1 Duke over 2 Gonzaga; 1 Wisconsin over 2 Arizona
ANALYSIS: Walker's National Champion pick is still in the mix, and that's what really that matters, right? Like Chester and Jeffcoat, Walker's East Region Elite Eight matchup fell apart in earlier rounds, and he's still feeling the effects after predicting Iowa State to make a deep run. With Kentucky as his National Champion, he'll be keeping a close eye on the Wildcats when they take on Wisconsin.
6. Safety Akeem Davis – 650 points
MAJOR WINS: 1 Kentucky over 3 Notre Dame; 7 Michigan State over 4 Louisville
MAJOR LOSSES:1 Wisconsin over 2 Arizona; 1 Duke over 2 Gonzaga
ANALYSIS:After entering last weekend as the only player that had his Final Four teams still play, Davis now only has half of the semi-final round correctly predicted. After Wisconsin took care of the Tar Heels and Duke knocked off Gonzaga, all the safety has to rely on now is the Kentucky Wildcats, the team he believes will win the National Championship.
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