[Mystery Prize is revealed in this email, so read all the way through if you want your chance to win!]
All,

Well, the 2026 NCAA Tournament comes down to just one final game. In the first national semi-final game on Saturday, the UConn Huskies never ran away with the game with the issue in doubt until Braylon Mullins drained another clutch 3 pointer from deep. The win over Illinois marks the Huskies 3rd trip to the National Championship in the past 4 years. Coach Dan Hurley's squads have two rings already, but the bitter taste from last year's early exit still gives them something to prove. They will face a Michigan team that actually evicerated Arizona in the second semi-final. The game was never as close as the final 18 point victory would seem. At one point, the Wolverines were up by 30 over the Wildcats, who had not trailed by more than 12 points the entire season. We were promised an Ali-Frasier (14 round thrilla in manila) level battle of two heavyweights - but what we got was Tyson-Frazier (Tyson KO in 30 seconds). Arizona was down 9 points just 2:39 into the game and just could not get anything going. The Wolverines won in convincing fashion, with their most famous predecessors, the Fab Five, in attendance watching. I don't think this year's crew even needed to call a timeout. Also in the game, Elliot Cadeau's 13 points were the highest ever scored by a player while having a reaction from a nut allergy. Michigan will now take on UConn in the national final Monday night.
The Pool of 42 has also come down to the final game.  Day 8 leader Kim Huang remains out in front of new secondplace entrant Eric Eckenrode, who is one of just two people to have both final teams. He will need some good scoring out Connecticut to close the gap with Kim - and with his Marta bonus already over (women's tournament final is already reflected in these scores) it might be tough. Ethan Deckner sits in 4th place with just UConn. If the Huskies can hold the Wolverines under 75 points, things could get interesting, as Kim would come down, while Ethan comes creeping up. Long-time leader Lorenzo Quiogue is in 3rd place - but with no teams remaining, he will need both teams to score below the thresholds to put himself back onto the podium. Meri Schreiber, the only other entrant who selected both finalists, currently sits in 6th place - but will need an absurd number of blocks in the game to be able to leap into the lead. As with most years, we won't know until the final whistle blows, who will take home the top score prize.

At the bottom of the pool, things have started to play out how we foretold. Luke Schreiber, who has "led" the bottom for some time despite being saddled with multiple repechage teams has finally succumbed to the extra points and has drifted up to 3rd to last. Taking over the helm is BTP John - however, now that he has no teams remaining and is in last position, he too gets assigned a repechage - for him it's Connecticut (courtesy of Houston who lost to Illinois who lost to Connecticut). That means that John will (almost definitely) receive enough points in the finale to knock him off the bottom pedestal - putting Andrew Limoges as the likely final low score. Now here's the wrinkle - as there almost always is in the Pool of 42. Andrew has just 7 fewer points than 3rd place Luke Schreiber. That means if either team scores exactly 80 points, Andrew would get his 10 bonus points and leap above Luke and endin second (from bottom) place. If you think that's a far-fetched scenario - just as Aunt Cathy McDonald, who won the whole thing thanks to a last second shot in the women's final game many years ago.
Our day 9 daily winners were Bill Scarpinato, who is in 87th place and wins the $20 Switzerland prize - and Adam Hudnut-Beumler who was the high scorer on the day. His 235 points gets him an entry fee refund. Current leaders for the other secondary prizes are Eric Eckenrode (most "regular" points and silver medal for most points), Kim Huang (most international points), BTP John for score closest to zero, and Andrew Limoges for 2nd fewest points.
And now on to the Mystery prize. As with previous years, there is something hidden in the 9 pool recap messages I have sent out (including this one). This year, there is a hidden message that encapsulates this year's theme of athletic events on a world-wide stage. You will need to use all 9 emails to get the answer. The answer will be a single sentence. I know this will be harder than finding 90's movie references or Taylor Swift song allusions, but I think you guys can do it*. First person to give me the correct sentence will win the $50 "Closing Ceremony" award. To make it easier, I have re-posted the 9 emails (including this one) to PoolOf42.com.
For the final game, the base threshold is 70 points. Here are the alternate thresholds, which could very well factor into the final standings:


Kim Huang: 75
Eric Eckenrode: 74
Lorenzo Quiogue:  73
Ethan Deckner: 72
Adam Hudnut-Beumler: 71

Philip R. DePaul: 69
Purple Tolerance Daddy Kyle: 68
Luke Schreiber: 67
Andrew Limoges: 66
Red Rampage BTP John: 65
Current scores are below, with complete standings attached. Enjoy the final game! And get me your Mystery prize guesses!


Name TOTAL
POINTS
Kim Huang 2172
Eric Eckenrode 2065.35
Lorenzo Quiogue 2058.9
Ethan Deckner 2054.75
Adam Hudnut-Beumler 2031
Meri Schreiber 2015.6
Jakub Stosik 1989.3
Neal Griffin 1939
Natalie Luftman 1914.75
Mavis Mai 1882.2
Patrick Steines 1876.9
Jomo Thorne 1863
Steve Savas 1829.5
Michael Pinbell 1819.5
Antonio Ayala 1800.7
Connor Gentile-DePaul 1788.5
Tom Groth 1750.55
David Luftman 1746
Michael Miniaci 1735.6
Andrea Pellicciari 1729.9
Leo Dorfman 1728.8
Brian Pierpont 1695.25
Brian Leamy 1685
Kevin Park 1676.5
Sarah Ganton 1669.7
Victoria Keisler 1650
Ben Nemser 1648.5
Brian Ganton 1646.5
Sean Garahan 1641
Ryan Flynn 1626.55
Larry Kriz 1623
Mark Sanicki 1615.2
Kelly C Hirano 1602.1
Eileen Rosa 1592.75
Juliana Jackson 1592.2
Daniel Sumner 1592
Mario DePollo 1586.8
Kevin Payne 1581.75
Rhonda Veugen 1559.6
Kaitlyn Pierpont 1559.5
Nick Hurt 1556.75
Patrick Keisler 1555.4
Justin Pasquale 1548.7
Mike Negley 1548.3
Josh Meyer 1545
Bob Hopper 1 1538
TJ Cilvick 1535.5
Bridget Heffernan 1533.8
Michael Schreiber 1529
Ed Li 1528.4
Patrick Appello 1523.2
Matthew McTague 1521
Charles Santanna 1511
Jack Toomey 1502.8
Donald DeCaro 1497.5
Emma Gibbons 1490
John Englert 1485.8
Greg Nilles 1480
Will Sargisson 1479
Joan Ganton 1474
Kathleen Cahill 1457.9
Wills Kable 1454.85
Noah Balanoff 1444.5
Giuseppe Randazzo 1440.25
Molly Farrell 1434.25
Ean Steinberger 1430.5
Zac Favreau Smith 1423
Michael Patti 1418.8
Tom Melton 1417
Mike Bopp 1417
Max Deckner 1414.95
Shubhro Biswas 1411.5
Christopher Davis 1410
Omar Azar 1408.6
Jim McCarthy 1400.75
Ben Tobin 1378
Steph Dowd 1369.05
Katie Schreiber 1362.2
Michael Boyan 1360.7
Dean Macchi 1359.6
Daniela Randazzo 1358.9
Kurt Thiemann 1356.25
Tony Miniaci 1355
Mary Ellen DePaul 1350
Killer B's 1345
Jeremy Schreiber 1344.2
Bill Scarpinato 1340.5
Brian Redington 1340.1
Brian Redington 1 1340.1
Chris Pierpont 1317.4
Vincent Hubner 1305
Brian Bharwani 1294.4
Bob Corcoran 1291.8
Mark Gruber 1284.5
Jacob Schreiber 1277.6
Jay Rosenberg 1272.5
Kerri Luftman 1272.25
Matt Solow 1272.2
Dave Pettit 1271.5
Ray Lacho 1270
Stu Nemser 1266.5
Bob Wagner 1254
Jack Schreiber 1253.3
Caroline Schreiber 1238.75
Thomas Daly 1235.75
PAUL THIEMANN 1229.5
Paul Schreiber 1225.8
Salina McLaughlin 1219.25
Julia Ford 1207.9
Jillian DePaul 1197.2
Michael Schoendorf 1191
Patrick Steines 2 1189
DAVID MILLER 1184
Jaclyn Farrell 1168.5
Seany Farrell 1168.25
David Marchisin 1167.8
Uncle Jack McDonald 1162.6
Lauren Schreiber 1159.5
Philip G DePaul 1157.75
Kerry Farrell 1156.2
Matthew Schreiber 1149.25
Michael Pinbell 1142.1
Michael Deckner 1141.2
Team Thom 1139.4
Mike Vogel 1130.6
Robert Cappuzzo 1123.3
Eamon Redington 1122.3
Corwin Rhyan 1121.65
Bob Hopper 2 1121.25
Lauren Gentile 1121
Josh Deckner 1109.2
Dominic Sembello 1094.2
Aunt Cathy McDonald 1085
Mark Rothstein 1079.75
Sean Farrell 1073.85
Matt Henrikson 1067
Mike Heffernan 1056.5
Jason Schreiber 1053
Brian Thiemann 1022
Ryan Heffernan 1013.3
Monica Heffernan 1013
Bobby Robertson 992.75
Lainie Gussman 991.25
Lisa Ito 986.15
Sam Schreiber 975.6
Molly Wagner 973.2
jason gaddy 970
Mckenzie Maier 970
Bill Lynch 959.6
Lynn Delaney 957.5
Denis McCarthy 952.9
Ryan Gibbons 940
Alisha Schreiber 926.75
Pacifist Admiral Tom 923
Derek Landel 917.2
Sidney Schreiber 908.8
JJ Phillips 886
Noah Balanoff 877.5
Nabeel Azar 852.4
Tyler Cross 848
Eric Fishman 822.8
Kelly G Hirano 800.3
Jaklyn Limoges 783.25
Ben Benoit 773.6
RANDY RUTHERFORD 764.2
Maryellen Groth 714
Tina Nugteren 699.65
Tara Rogers 669
DAVID MILLER 664.65
Massimo Randazzo 611.1
Brian Redington 2 610.2
Catherine Bopp 607.7
Philip R. DePaul 591.55
Purple Tolerance Daddy Kyle 579
Luke Schreiber 545
Andrew Limoges 538
Red Rampage BTP John 518
Thanks,
-j

*[In the Pool of 42] entrants are held to a higher standard and therefore I expect great things from you all.