2012 NCAA Fantasy Draft

Every year (well the last two anyway) Nolo, Amilian, Quade, and I hold an NCAA tournament player draft. The rules are simple: you draft five players and total points over the course of the tournament wins. You get double points for all games played by double-digit seeds and double points for all Final Four games.

Here’s what transpired…

Round 1
Nolo: Sorry for the delay fellas. Late night last night. I’ll take Anthony Davis of the Kentucky Wildcats.

KP: I like how you type the entire name of his team, as if we don’t know who you’re talking about. Of course, Quade might not…I’m stoked for his inevitable fourth round “I’ll take Kenneth Farie…wait he’s on the Nuggets now? Aren’t they an NBA team??”

Quade: You guys are not nice. Why would I not know who Anthony Davis is? Because I have a life or because I’d rather watch the Thunder than college basketball.

Nolo: Anthony Davis is the center for the Kentucky Wildcats, Quade. He’s widely considered to be the best player in college basketball right now. He will likely be taken as the top overall pick in the National Basketball Association (NBA) after this season is over.

Quade: I’ll take Thomas Robinson. He’s the leading scorer for Kansas. They’re a two seed in the Midwest.

KP: I love all the veiled bad blood already, this is awesome.

Amilian: I’d like to take this moment to thank the Excellence Resort in Punta Cana (Dominican Republic) for the best vacation ever. I apologize for that interruption but I feel contractually obligated to mention them when making public appearances (including PFB posts) because it was that incredible.

Okay my pick. It has to be Harrison Barnes of the University of the North Carolina Tar Heels in Chapel Hill, NC. I like UNC getting to the finals so I’ll take two games of 17.4 x 2. Based on my accurate bracket, at this point nobody else has a player who will be putting up double digits in the Final Four. Kentucky will choke.

Harrison Barnes doing work for Amilian's squad

KP: I’ll take Tyler Zeller…

Round 2
KP: …and Jared Sullinger. I hate myself for those two picks but it was between them, Tyshawn Taylor (and his mom), and Doug McDermott’s second round exit so I kind of had to. Also, I almost just talked myself into trying to draft all five Mizzou starters.

Nolo: So you’re taking a player who’s brother is better than him and is also playing in this tournament? Good pick.

Amilian: Okay, my first round pick (Barnes) was an easy/obvious pick.  But now it’s time to get in the IZZONE and take the leading scorer from the other team I have in the finals.  With the 6th pick in the 2012 PFB NCAA Tournament Player Draft I’ll take Draymond Green of the Michigan State Spartans.

KP: What is the “IZZONE”?

Nolo: ***Green fakes a smile, puts on an awkward hat, tells Jay Bilas how blessed he feels to be drafted by Amilian, then goes back in the green room and immediately asks to be traded***

Draymond Green is not excited to be suiting up for Amilian's team

Amilian: You freaking kidding me Mr. Big Time Sports Blogger? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Izzone

KP: Oh…yeah.

Nolo: Hey Pistolsguy, in case anybody mentions the “Cameron Crazies”, they are the fans of the Duke Blue Devils. Just want to save you from future embarrassment.

Quade: First, can’t wait for Thomas Robinson to eliminate both of your first picks in St Louis. Second, I’ll take my second final four team’s leading scorer and second team All-American, Marcus Denmon. Ps, they’ll be beating Sparty and Amilian’s second pick. Third, pistolsguy, you really hadn’t heard of the Izzone?!?

Nolo: Alright, I’ll jump on the Austin Rivers grenade…

Round 3
Nolo: …and take Kris Joseph also. Both those guys could either win a title or get bounced in the Sweet 16. Good times. Also, can we talk about how Syracuse has had 19 different players play in a game this year?!

KP: I noticed that earlier, they’re like the Patriots of college basketball…right down to the cheating to win games thing.

Quade: This is where I’m going to win it or lose it. Do I go second tier on a team I’m confident in or go leader on a team that scares me to death? What the hey, I’ll go Doug McDermott of Creighton. Go Jays.

Amilian: Did I miss a new rule or was that the worst pick ever?

Nolo: You didn’t miss any rules, that was just the worst pick ever.

Worst. Pick. Ever.

Amilian: Okay so we aren’t getting 150 bonus points or anything for picking a player on an 8-seeded team that will be eliminated in the first or second round…got it. I’m going with a Tyshawn Taylor.

Nolo: The mid-major white gunner, while exciting, doesn’t get you any additional points or Jimmer would have won it for me last year.

Quade: *remembers he’s the defending champ, and smiles confidently*

Nolo: I wonder if you’re nodding confidently because you though McDermott was black and I just said he was white which means you’re all set for another run like last year.

Last year Quade drafted a post from Richmond who he thought was an athletic white guy but actually turned out to be a lumbering black guy who ended up winning him the competition…it was ridiculous.

Quade: If he scores 20 twice thats the same as Tyshawn scoring 10 four times. I figured I’d take my chances. At the end we should all give a list of who we almost took when. I’ve got a big one I want to share.

Amilian: I’ve got a big one I want to share too…

KP: Does Quade realize that Creighton is an 8-seed or no? Has he seen a bracket?

KP: Kim English and…

Round 4
KP: …Kevin Jones to kick off the fourth round. Speaking of WVU and Gonzaga…are there two more opposite coaches than Huggy Bear and Mark Few?

Kevin Jones is pumped to be the first double-digit seed taken

Amilian: I’m sticking with another Final Four team and taking Deshaun Thomas of the Buckeyes.

KP: Quien?

Amilian: My research shows he averaged 15+ points for a 2-seeded team that’s very capable of making the Final Four. That’s quien.

Quade: You guys are idiots. Again, I’ve won how many of these competitions? That’s right, more than anyone else. Yes I’m fully aware of Doug McDermott’s race and his team’s seed.

KP: You’re up, Quade…Ray McCallum is still on the board btw.

Amilian: Don’t call us idiots when you passed on Tyshawn Taylor because you think he’ll only put up 10 points a game.

KP: I’m honestly still laughing out loud at Amilian’s “I’ve got a a big one I’d like to share”…

Quade: Not real sure how Kyle can take Kevin Jones of West Virginia, who may only play one game, and not get at least one negative comment.  Whatever. I’ll take Doron Lamb of Kentucky.

KP: I guess they just respect my collegiate basketball moxie, the Izzone thing notwithstanding.

Quade: You all should beat me, I’ve watched one full college basketball game all year, and it was one I attended and come to think of it, Amilian was late so we didn’t get in the building ’til almost the 12:00 media.  So, yeah, I shouldn’t do well.

Amilian: So where were we?

KP:  I think we were giving Nolo a Kris Joseph get out of jail free card with this Fab Melo news going down… Amilian is up.

Quade: No, isn’t Nolan up?  I picked going back towards Nolan, I thought.  Unless I missed something somewhere.

KP: Yeah you’re right, I’m still reeling from the McDermott pick I guess…

Nolo: Well you made my “Daron Lamb or Terrance Jones” decision for me.  I’ll take Jones…

Round 5
Nolo: …and follow that up with John Henson’s wrist.  You guys have no idea how close I was to just taking the Kentucky starting 5 and praying for the best.

KP: I almost did the same thing with Missouri…

Quade: I went back and forth on those two also.I’ll take Michael Snaer to round out my team. Nolan, I’ll text you my address now so that when I win you will have already had that time delay from Austin to Stillwater to get me my money.

KP: Wow, that’s a great pick.

Quade: Can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic or not but frankly I don’t care.

Nolo: I actually do like that pick.  I’m a little disappointed there isn’t really a token white shooter at a mid-major that just goes OFF from time to time that got a double digit seed.  There actually isn’t a lot of really good scorers who got mediocre seeds at all.  I guess if you want to put some eggs in the J’Covan Brown basket you could but Rick Barnes couldn’t even make the Sweet 16 with Kevin Durant and DJ Augustin on the same squad.  Hate to think what that means for J’Covan.

Quade with a great late-round Michael Snaer pick

Amilian: I need a little bit of time. Helping [the wife] clean and organize. Probably shouldn’t sit at the laptop while she works. I am SO married.

Amilian: Okay I struggled with this last pick, but I have to pull the trigger on a sleeper (better to do so in Round 5 than in Round 3, right??).  Oh and that was a shot at myself (see 2011 draft: Talor Battle) as much as it was a shot at Quade for the McDermott pick earlier. Antwan Carter of Long Beach St. He’s averaging just over 19 ppg and the 49ers could very possibly be the 12-5 upset team with a matchup against New Mexico. LBSU played well at KU, at UNC, at Creighton and at Pitt.  They won’t be afraid of the Lobos and will be seeking revenge if they get another shot at Pitino’s Cardinals in Round 2. You either love this pick or hate it.  I just fell more in love with it after reading my own explanation above.

KP: John Jenkins of Vandy to end the draft. Quade, I want to hear all the big ones you had in your holster..

The teams
Nolo: Eyebrows-Rivers grenade-Joseph-TJones-Henson wrist

Quade: Robinson-Denmon-McDermottlol-Lamb-Snaer

Amilian: Barnes-Green-Taylor-Thomas-Carter

KP: Zeller-Sullinger-English-KJones-Jenkins