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!

Special Report: Chieftans secure 2025 Calcutta and eighth title

WIN-DOCTORS SECURE SECOND, CATHOLIC BOYZ THIRD

AMHERST – The Chieftans rode a second-half blitz by the Gators to claim their eighth championship and third outright title to collect the cherished Chalise in this year’s edition of the William A. Karin Calcutta.

The Win-Docs took care of business in their semifinal game but needed help from the Commish to have a shot at a tie for the top spot. The win secured second-place for the Win-Docs who were 10-1 on the morning line.

The Catholic Boyz held on for third when the Tigers and Blue Devils bowed out, hitting the board for the first time in seven years (2018) since the last time they shared a title.

Chieftans rally to title behind Gators (and some gambling info)

The Bunch of Chieftans still have some work to do and could grab some extra walkin’-around money tonight with a Gator win. The spread is close, and U of H has the defense to keep it close. My AI buddy Claude thinks based on tempo considerations that the total points should be somewhere around 135-136, so the Vegas line at 141.5 is likely on the high end, which Claude projects to be 145.

Win-Docs ride Cougars to climax, look to head off Florida in finale

That headline is just too funny to say anything else.

Catholic Boyz drankin that wine to cash a minor award

We’ve actually forgotten who the Boyz actually had but sit, watch and cash worked for them.

¡Adios Amigos!

The Amigos were as disappointing as Timothy was in the White Lotus finale. Blowing a 14-point lead (and my 4-leg parlay) was enough to end it all.

Second half dooms Tigers

At halftime, the Commish and Associate were screaming to “stop the game.” Unfortunately, it’s a 40-minute contest and when you back the ringless Charles’ Barkley alma mater you know what you’re going to get. A round mound of ………

Here are the final two potential scenarios and payouts:

Florida over Houston:

Chieftans (13) - $1,200

Win-Docs (10) - $500

Catholic Boyz (9) - $300

 Houston over Florida:

Chieftans (12) - $1,000

Win-Docs (11) - $700

Catholic Boyz (9) - $300

That's a wrap on Calcutta 2025...until next year.

Chieftans secure title share with Gator win, look for the whole enchilada next weekend

 WIN-DOCTORS CAN CLAIM A SHARE IN ONE SCENARIO

AMHERST – The Chieftans powered their way to another Calcutta title, clinching at least a share of the top spot and winning outright in seven of eight possible scenarios next weekend. It will be their eighth outright or shared title.

The Win-Docs need Houston to run the table and Auburn to beat Florida in the semis to claim a tie with the Chieftans in the lone potential outcome that does not see the Bunch carrying the Calcutta Chalise alone next Monday night.

The Commish and Catholic Boyz were both eliminated over the weekend from title hopes but can catch a piece of the pie if things go the right way.

The Amigos will continue to play spoiler and can sneak into ties for third should Duke sweep the Final Four.

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

Chieftans split Elite Eight games on way to share of title

The Bunch of Chieftans grabbed their first title since 2018 beating the Gator Drum, with an amazing come-from-behind win against 3-Texas Tech. Down nine with less than three minutes to play the Bunch’s squad rallied to salvage what could have been a potential disaster, knocking the Catholic Boyz out of the title hunt.

Win-Docs need sweep, Florida loss

The Win-Docs hopes of a share of their seventh title rests on a strong Houston squad, who will face their toughest test to date in the Dookies on Saturday. They will be rooting on the Tigers over the Gators to put them in the natty with a chance at a tie.

Catholic Boyz on sidelines, but not in bad shape

The Catholics will have to watch from the clubhouse next weekend awaiting the results, but they will cash in every scenario except one….an Auburn win over Houston in the final.

Tennessee loss dooms Commish, still can make noise with Auburn

The Commish’s title hopes went down early in the Houston-Vols game and now their laurels rest on the Tigers and can only finish as high as second with a sweep of the weekend games. Going to admit, thought Houston was the easiest road to the Final Four, but was dead wrong.

Fat Lady quieted, Amigos playing for that natty cash and outside shot at third

The Amigos will ride the hottest team into the Final Four and hope to Flagg down a natty. The Amigos control their own destiny and will be the major obstacle for the Win-Docs title hopes.

Here are the eight potential scenarios and payouts:

Florida over Duke:

Chieftans (13) - $1,200

Win-Docs (9) - $400

Catholic Boyz (9) - $400

 

Florida over Houston:

Chieftans (13) - $1,200

Win-Docs (10) - $500

Catholic Boyz (9) - $300

 

Auburn over Duke:

Chieftans (11) - $1,000

Commish (10) - $700

Win-Docs (9) - $150

Catholic Boyz (9) - $150

 

Auburn over Houston:

Chieftans (11) - $1,000

Commish (10) - $600

Win-Docs (10) - $400

 

Duke over Florida:

Chieftans (12) - $1,000

Amigos (9) - $467

Win-Docs (9) - $267

Catholic Boyz (9) - $266

 

Duke over Florida:

Chieftans (12) - $1,000

Amigos (9) - $400

Win-Docs (9) - $200

Catholic Boyz (9) - $200

Commish (9) - $200

 

Houston over Florida:

Chieftans (12) - $1,000

Win-Docs (11) - $700

Catholic Boyz (9) - $300

 

Houston over Auburn:

Win-Docs (11) - $950

Chieftans (11) - $750

Commish (9) - $150

Catholic Boyz (9) - $150

 

 

Good luck everyone!