The shot heard 'round Amherst

AMHERST – Never has one shot had such an impact on an entire Calcutta than the one yesterday to wrap up the Elite Eight.

The Chieftans could have been sipping from the Chalise, other than one errant pass that found its way into enemy hands.

“The shot” opened the door for the Amigos and Catholic Boyz to keep their title hopes alive.  The Amigos can win it all with a Michigan sweep and can clinch a tie with a win in the Final Four.

The Catholic Boyz can only tie for the title and need an Illini sweep to accomplish that.

There is a rare scenario where all three can tie if Illinois beats Michigan in the final.

The Win-Docs and Counselors will continue to play looking for that natty cash and definitely will have the Chieftans riding their respective band wagons.

Let’s take a team-by-team capsule look into the weekend festivities:

Chieftans experience thrill of victory; agony of defeat all in one game

The Bunch of Chieftans looked like 9-time title holders (and could still get there) at halftime of the Duke-UConn game. What I’d give to see that group text thread. They now play leaders in the clubhouse with no dog left in the fight. Need help (or should I say “send help’).

Amigos almost pull off weekend double

At halftime on Saturday, it looked like the Amigos would be sitting chilly as Iowa continued to outkick their coverage and lead the Illini into the break. They held serve on Sunday with a powerful display by the Wolverines, but Arizona looms next weekend.

Catholic Boyz clinging to third

Purdue ran into a buzzsaw, but the Fightin Illini advance to let the Catholics see another day. You gotta be in it to win it and the Catholic Boyz have made a valiant Calcutta run. They secured a top three spot and can do no worse than third.

Counselors'
miraculous comeback – keeps them live for the natty

Need a sweep to cash – but had to be the moment of the tournament for the legal beagles.

Win-Doctors with the silent killer could take down the final

The Win-Docs get to follow for another weekend and the silent killer Arizona just keeps dismantling teams. Looking forward to the Michigan game and hoping it’s the late contest on Saturday.

Here are the eight potential scenarios and payouts:

UConn over Michigan:

Chieftans (11) - $750

Amigos (11) - $750

Catholic Boyz (9) - $300

Counselors - $200 

UConn over Arizona:

Chieftans (11) - $1,000

Amigos (10) - $500

Catholic Boyz (9) - $300

Counselors - $200 

Illinois over Michigan:

Catholic Boyz (11) - $800

Chieftans (11) - $600

Amigos (11) - $600  

Illinois over Arizona:

Catholic Boyz (11) - $950

Chieftans (11) - $750

Amigos (10) - $300 

Michigan over UConn:

Amigos (12) - $1,200

Chieftans (11) - $500

Catholic Boyz (9) - $300 

Michigan over Illinois:

Amigos (12) - $1,200

Chieftans (11) - $500

Catholic Boyz (10) - $300 

Arizona over UConn:

Chieftans (11) - $1,000

Amigos (10) - $500

Catholic Boyz (9) - $300

Win-Docs $200 

Arizona over Illinois:

Chieftans (11) - $1,000

Amigos (10) - $400

Catholic Boyz (10) - $400

Win-Docs $200

 

 

Good luck everyone!

 

Ooh, Ahh Chieftans on the Warpath

AMHERST – The Chieftans utilized a big Friday night win by 6-Tennessee to open a 2-point lead in the 2026 edition of the William A. Karin Memorial Calcutta over their nearest competitor.

The top three teams could lay claim to the title, with the Amigos and Catholic Boyz nipping at the Chief and crew’s heels.

First three out in the Sweet Sixteen were the Elders, Commish and Slayers….see ya next year!

The Counselors and Win-Docs can only hope to run the table with their lone teams and potentially grab a slice of the show spot.

Let’s take a team-by-team capsule look into the weekend festivities:

Chieftans advance two to Elite Eight, Calcutta is in their hands.

A repeat of last year’s Elite Eight headline for the Chieftans who could win a record ninth Calcutta and back-to-back titles. Went 0-and-2 on Thursday only to sweep Friday’s affairs with 1-Duke surviving a scare from the relentless 5-Johnnies. Huge Michigan-Tennessee tilt with the second-place Amigos on Sunday could say a lot on who will advance. They’re the ones to beat.

Amigos defy odds, riding Michigan and Iowa
coattails

I have to admit on draft night I was skeptical of the Amigos draft, when focusing a little closer while setting the morning line, I started to warm up to their bracket positioning and made them the third choice. They gathered the necessary first round wins, advanced two to both the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight and can ride 1-Michigan as long as they can. Cinderella 9-Iowa has done yeoman work to get this far and a big matchup loom with the Boyz tonight in Houston.

Catholic Boyz poised to strike

They sit one behind the Amigos and three behind the leaders, with two strong B1G squads remaining. 2-Purdue and 3-Illinois have monstrous Elite Eight matchups and we’ll know their potential fate much better after this evening. Illinois beat Iowa by six in Iowa City in early January, which would indicate this could be an all-out brawl in H-town. Purdue faces a strong Wildcat team, but you have to beat the best to be the best. The Boyz will be putting on their finest whites for a big Saturday night.  Oddsmakers would give them a much better shot if they were playing after mass on Sunday, however.

Sayonara Commish, Elders, Slayers

I swear the Commish would have 6-7 wins coming out of the first round. Au Revoir Le Commish.

The Elders started with three in the Sweet Sixteen and end with a Code Blue. Mid-pack finish for the old guys.

The Slayers likely finish in last, worthy of their 20-1 longshot casting by the ML maker.

Peace out.

Win-Docs survive, need Wildcats to run the table

The Win-Docs will look to break a tie with the Slayers for most national champions selected should 1-Arizona win out. They’ll have a rough road to hoe with a potential Purdue, Michigan and likely Duke path to the natty. We shall see. 

Counselors ride the back of Dan Hurley the rest of the way

The solicitors and Dan Hurley are a match made in heaven. Tough, carefree and a mouth as dirty as a kid after spaghetti night. They can play a huge spoiler with a 2-UConn upset of Duke tomorrow. Court will be open on Sunday.

The results will be posted over the next few days in the google sheet link in the top right corner as usual. Final Four report - Monday morning with all possible outcomes. 

Good luck everyone!

 

Chieftans distance themselves from pack, eye record

AMHERST – The Chieftans secured the top spot in the 2026 Calcutta heading to the Sweet Sixteen with four second round wins to catapult the defending to a tw0-point lead.

The big story is that the Calcutta 15-win record could be in jeopardy as the Chieftans have three brackets covered going into next weekend.

The Amigos rode the B1G into second place and is nipping at the heels but will need some help next weekend.

The Elders are right there and a big matchup with the Amigos and a bigger one with the Chieftans.

The Catholic Boyz are within striking distance, like the Amigos riding the B1G into Sweet Sixteen weekend.

Let’s take a team-by-team capsule look into the weekend festivities:

Chieftans prime for back-to-back titles

Looking for a record setting tenth Calcutta title, the morning line favorites continue to roll in this year’s Calcutta. Advancing an 11-seed in Texas to the Sweet Sixteen to go with 6-seed Tennessee is all you need to know. With juggernaut 1-Duke avoiding the upset bug over the weekend, it looks like the Calcutta is there’s to win (or lose).

Amigos knocking on the door with powerhouse Wolverines

The Amigos knocked out top-seed Florida with 9-Iowa and will face the Elders’ Huskers in the Corn Derby in the Sweet Sixteen. 1-Michigan looks monstrous after tearing through a very good SLU team in Buffalo. Will need the Chiefs to go 1-3 in the Sixteen and squeeze out an Iowa win to have a shot.  It could come down to Duke-Michigan in the finale.

Elders hanging around (again)

The Elders once again are hanging around as we march on with three teams remaining and a legit national champion contender in 3-Michigan State. The Elders have never had the winner of the natty, so this is potentially a historic run to glory. To win the Calcutta, however, the issue is the 5-Johnnies are in the same bracket so something’s gotta give. Big matchup with the Amigos with 4-Nebraska taking on 9-Iowa in the South that could ultimately decide some placings.

The Catholic Boyz

2-Purdue and 3-Illinois advanced as expected and both have the potential to go deep.  Some late-night losses (what’s with only two games on Sunday starting before 5PM?) limited their potential win total, but the remaining squads both have a big chance to keep the drive alive. Preach.

Commish suffers through Black Saturday, 1-4 on weekend

Approximately at 9:34 p.m. on Sunday night, I threw up in my mouth.

Roll Tide.

Slayers need to run the table to catch a piece

And then there was one. At least it’s a good one. 2-Iowa State has to win out to get to 9 points, which could be enough for a piece.4

Win-Docs one behind Slayers in 7th

Down to 1-Arizona, one behind the Slayers, they can only max out at 8 wins, which may not be enough to hit the board based on the teams near the top of the leaderboard. Losing two 3-seeds in the second round may have put the nail in the Win-Doc’s coffin.

Counselors riding their big dogs

2-Houston is now the lowest seed left in the South, but the Counselors’ two remaining teams are on the same side of the bracket, which means if they both get out of their respective regions they have an auto-win, but can only max out at 10 wins.

The Elite Eight Sixteen report - Saturday morning.

On to the Sweet Sixteen!

 

Logjam at top of 2026 Calcutta

AMHERST – The 2026 Calcutta is up for grabs with six teams either in the lead or within one of the top spots on the leaderboard after an exciting first round of NCAA action.

The top three selections on the morning line sit atop the Calcutta with thoughts of drinking Dom out of the Chalise on the first Monday of April. The Chieftans, Commish and Amigos all worked out five wins in the first round, and some second-round battles will determine who sticks around and who drops going into Sweet Sixteen.

The Elders, Slayers and surprising Catholic Boyz all sit one back ready to pounce on the leaders.

The4-5 games could be the big story this weekend and there are some doozies.

The Counselors took it on the chin right out the gate with the High Point upset and leave round one bloodied and only two wins to show.

Defending champs capture slice of the lead after big Thursday

The Chiefs struck early and with force on Day One with a couple of upset wins by 9-seeds and survived a 1-Duke upset to hold the top spot from the start. They carry a 1, 4 and 6 seed into the next round hoping for the Vols to continue their run into next week. Worthy leaders.

Commish tied for lead, wishing what could’ve been

Two lower seeds losing 8-9 and 7-10 games could have sent yours truly to a commanding 7-point start but had enough firepower to catch a piece of the lead. Similar to the Chiefs they enter round two with a 1,4 and 6 seed alive with a big day in Buffalo. Will need to catch an upset to keep the momentum going. Florida looked solid last night albeit against a 16-seed winning by 69. Nice.

Amigos hopping to top spot

Slow and steady wins the race. The Blue Bloods lost a huge upset in the Tar Heels but survived to draw even with the Chiefs and Commish by the end of the day. They send forth a 1, 4 and 7 into round dos. Top seed Michigan looked solid in the second half Thursday and Kansas has a big matchup with the 5-seed Johnnies and Rick Pitino. Not saying Adios early this year.

Elders strategy to be tested this weekend

The 2024 champs came out swinging, but an upset of 6-BYU was the only reason they weren’t swapped out with the Chiefs on top. Lowest seeds remaining are 3-Michigan State and 4-Nebraska, both with tough second round matchups. Get your walkers ready boys, it’s a long road to Houston.

Slayers slay and Iowa State looks for real

2-Iowa State was a team a lot of us were sleeping on and the Slayers are ready to ride them deep. Only one from the top due to a slip up by 8-Ohio State and a lousy second half by 10-Missouri, the Slayers will need to get Vandy into the next round to face rival Florida who they beat soundly in the SEC tourney. Interesting team that I may have discounted too much on the morning line.

Catholic Boyz dance on

Probably the biggest surprise on the morning line is the Boyz. Their lower seeds held serve and it all comes down to a win from 5-Texas Tech or 7-UCLA on Sunday. Advanced two strong B1G teams in 2-Purdue and 3-Illinois to the second round and sit one behind the leaders. The Catholic Boyz playing on Sunday could be a bad omen for the rest of the Calcutta.

Win-Docs need to pick it up in round two

Lower seeds held serve, higher seeds lost. No joy in Win-Docville during round one where they usually catch an upset or two. The three teams left aren’t anything to sneeze at, so they’re not dead yet (hopefully you get the GIF reference). All three, 1-Arizona, 3-Gonzaga and 3-Virginia, should get through, which would give them six wins and still in the hunt. Need to close late for a chance.

Counselors overruled, sitting in the basement

The legal fellahs have fallen and sit in the basement needing sweeps by 2-seeds to have a chance. We’ve seen teams that go big on low seeds and sweating out riding them all the way to hit the board. It’ll be a long road for the barristers, but it can be done.

The results will be posted over the next few days in the google sheet link in the top right corner as usual. Sweet Sixteen post - Monday morning. 

Good luck everyone!

 

 

Morning line set for 26 Calcutta, Chieftans early favorite

 

AMHERST – The 27th annual kicked off March Madness in fine fashion, concluding with the Yellow Jacket presentation to the Chieftans, winner of the 2025 edition of the William A. Karin Memorial Chalise.

The Chieftans won for a record ninth time in the Calcutta and ended a three-year streak of the Slayers selecting the national champ.

On to 2026.

A wide-open tourney where any of the top 8 teams could vie for the natty.

In Calcutta Land, the top-seeded teams went for 40, 40, 40 and 39, showing how close the top echelon of competitors there are in this year’s NCAAs.

Shout out to the Auction Pro which tendered only one minor glitch all evening (sorry Counselors, UNC stinks anyways).

Seeing old faces, even if once a year is always good for the soul and our group moves forward yet another year without a defection.

Here’s the morning line, the Commish has been a solid morning-line maker over the past few years, eyeing the eventual champion Chieftans last year as the second choice…who will get tabbed as this year’s fav?

Defending champs lukewarm Morning Line Favorites at 3-1

We were leaning a couple of different ways to set the favorite, including yours truly, but landed on the Chiefs to defend their land in 2026. Rock solid top seed Duke-1 headlines Indigent Nation with a solid right half of the bracket in Arkansas-4 in the West and Tennessee-6 and Georgia-8 in the Midwest. The tribe is a proven commodity that’s the one to beat.

Morning Line Odds: 3-1; Longshot: VCU-11; ASR: 8.25

Commish spends early, maneuvers late

Early mover, late shaker. Commish & Assoc. garnered the lowest seed rating on the day and snatched the cheapest top seed in Florida-1. After spending large for Alabama-4 in the Midwest and for dark horse Louisville-6 in the East, the Commish is well balanced in each region, which is poetry in motion in some Calcutta years. A late evening math gaffe by the Win-Docs landed a 9-seed (TCU) for the low, low price of two bucks. Will need some mid-seed magic in the early rounds to put them in the catbird seat.

Morning Line Odds: 4-1; Longshot: Saint Mary’s-7; ASR: 7.0

Amigos chase the blue bloods looking for first title since 2019

Went big with Michigan added the basketball blue bloods Kansas-4, UNC-6 and Kentucky-7, all on off years, but with solid name recognition. You know who else had great name recognition, Abe Lincoln. Seriously, the Mexicanas have some solid mid seeds in Iowa-9 and Utah St-9 (who I love). Last outright championship was in 2013, coming close in 2024 as runner-up to the Elders.

Morning Line Odds: 6-1; Longshot: Utah State-9; ASR: 8.25

The Counselors look to break the drought

It is a year to end droughts in Buffalo, so don’t count out the barristers. I’ll give them a solid left side of the bracket, but they’ll need help on the left side with lone single-digit seed Wisconsin-5.  Two big dogs, UConn-2 and Houston-2 were both in consideration for top seeds over the last two weeks, falling in conference tourney championships. The legal beagles can ride those two to the prom but will need to bring them to the final dance to have a chance.

Morning Line Odds: 8-1; Longshot: Santa Clara-10; ASR: 8.38

Elders strategy unchanged in 27 years; big shot to hit the board

I haven’t had to change this headline in 27 years.  You’d have to do some long, hard research to find the last No. 1 seed this team drafted…they go mid-seed with hopes to cash a ticket. Monday was a little different in that their ASR rating was higher than usual, but they just didn’t overspend. Lowest two seeds however are in the same bracket (whoops) in Michigan State-3 and the Johnnies-5 in the East. Like his West teams, BYU-6 (low NET rating) and High Point-12 as solid win stealers. Give the old fellers their due.

Morning Line Odds: 10-1; Longshot: High Point-12; ASR: 9.13

The Win-Docs unbalanced and vulnerable

The left side of their bracket is a train wreck. Nothing lower than a 12. How does that happen? Right side is murderer’s row with Arizona-1, Gonzaga-3 and Virginia-3 and maybe a Cinderella in Miami of Ohio (Amigo-1’s alma mater). They’ll have to withstand some punches early, but three teams that will need to go long into the tourney to win it all.

Morning Line Odds; 12-1; Longshot: McNeese-12; ASR: 9.13

Catholic Boyz needs Big Ten dominance

Ended up with some bad teams (two 15s and a 16) and ended up with some good teams. Well balanced in each of the brackets (survive and advance is the word for the men of cloth). Purdue-2 will have to duplicate their efforts in the B1G tourney and 3-Illinois has a solid bunch. UCLA-7 rounds out their Big Ten bulk and Texas Tech-5 can surprise. They could’ve landed higher on this list, but four quick losses look imminent.

Morning Line Odds: 15-1; Longshot: South Florida-11; ASR: 9.38

Slayers will play the longshot role

Sometimes this happens when you hold your dough too long. It gets soggy. Will need some big 8-9 and 7-10 game upset wins in the first round if they are going to be a threat. Iowa State-2 is good but has historically faltered early in the tourney. Loved the work during the draft but seems like there’s not much to show for it. Could prove me wrong.

Morning Line Odds: 20-1; Longshot: Pick a 10 seed not named Santa Clara; ASR: 8.38

The results will be posted over the next few days in the google sheet link in the top right corner as usual. Next post - Saturday morning leading into round 2. 

Good luck everyone!