JTIII Wins Team NCAA Bracket Challenge

MCDONOUGH—Following Georgetown’s historic upset at the hands of the lowly Ohio Bobcats, Hoyas coach John Thompson III was uncharacteristically upbeat, having with this loss correctly predicted one of the biggest shocks of this year’s NCAA Tournament. The successful upset pick allowed coach Thompson to take commanding lead of a team-wide NCAA Tournament Bracket Challenge, a challenge he went on to win with his successful selection of finals matchup between Butler and Duke.

“I took this challenge pretty seriously,” Thompson said after collecting his $65 winnings from team manager James Tollucci. “I spent hours looking at each and every matchup to make my picks. That’s the kind of attention to detail it takes to craft a championship bracket. You can’t under-prepare for a little team playing a big name, you have to look at that matchup just like any other game.”

Thompson’s prediction of Georgetown’s early exit represented a dissenting voice, as most Hoya players and coaches had their group making it at least to the Sweet Sixteen.

As star center Greg Monroe (COL’ 12) put it, “I had us winning it all. I think a lot of us did. What bugged me most was the timing, though. Coach turned his bracket in dead last, and he gave it and his five bucks to Jimmy [Tollucci] right in the huddle before tip-off. And at halftime he wouldn’t shut up about how he was whooping us.”

“Listen,” replied Thompson, “A lot of competitors want to tell you, ‘Hey, get your bracket done early, don’t believe the hype, go with your gut and just turn it in.’ Those people just aren’t willing to put in the time I was.”

“It was weird,” said Tollucci. “I went into his office 15 minutes before game time, and coach had papers everywhere, and the white board where he normally puts some inspirational messages to make sure the team doesn’t come out flat, he had about eight different brackets printed out and pasted up there. And Big John [Thompson’s father and legendary Hoyas coach] was sitting behind him expressionless, with this dead-eyed look, just glowering. Don’t see how that helps.”

Thompson though, was confident from the beginning: “I knew my final matchup as soon as the field was announced. I watched us beat both Butler and Duke this season, and I knew immediately: those were two wins that would frustrate Hoya fans the most in retrospect if we fell early. Just seems like that’s how stuff works out.”

Starting guard Austin Freeman identified another source of the team’s complaints with Thompson during the game.

“He was so pompous when it looked like we were going to lose in the fourth quarter [against Ohio] and his pick was going to be right. He kept yelling ‘Have fun on the Pistons next year, Greg,’” said Freeman.

Thompson, however, appeared unmoved by the player’s complaints, choosing instead to focus on his plans for the future.

“I can’t wait for next year’s schedule to come out,” said Thompson. “It isn’t easy picking which mediocre teams we will lose to once we get a top 10 ranking. That kind of lack of effort takes careful planning.”