Swafford Wins Departmental Bracket Challenge
Posted Apr 4, 2018
Leading from start to finish, Josh Swafford won the 11th Annual Department of Political Science NCAA Men’s Basketball Bracket Challenge. Upon hearing that he won the bracket challenge, Josh passed out over Seizing The Day. Therefore, Josh will be the Carpe Diem Bracketology Champion for the remainder of the year and perform a Victory Dance at Evanspalooza when he receives his award. Despite picking the first #1 seed to lose in the first round (UVA) to win it all, he was able to hold off Josiah McGee who needed Kansas aka “Rock Choke Jawhawk” to push him past Josh. Josiah also picked the most correct teams to win at 39.
Dr. Ryan made a dramatic leap from 9th after the first round to place third overall by correctly choosing Villanova to win the tourney. Both he and Dr. Evans were the only two individuals to correctly choose the national champion. Dr. Ryan’s third place victory also means that he won the faculty portion of the challenge, dethroning Dr. Evans who has held this honor the past four years. Dr. Evans, the defending President of Bracketology, barely avoided a landslide defeat finishing in seventh place. He was as low as 12th after the Sweet 16 but was able to make a comeback to finish in the top half of the draw.
Matt Grove finished in 4th place never consistently placing lower than 6th place through each round showing his consistency. In fifth was President Trump. Dr. Evans picked schools for Trump based on his electoral college vote and his affinity for manufacturing states and religious folk/colleges. His chaotic picks paid off as he scored upsets with Loyola-Chicago, Syracuse, Marshall, and had Michigan in the Final 4. If he was aware of his finish, I’m sure that he would say that he really won but that thousands of illegal entries allowed Josh to win and that he will build a wall to prevent this in the future and make Raymond pay for it. President Trump would also be proud that he just edged out President Obama in the bracket challenge. So that is one more Obama accomplishment repealed.