Dan Dinunzio, a 2008 Newington High School graduate and soon-to-be UConn student, leads the 14th annual Living Room Times men's NCAA Pool heading into the Sweet 16 after following up a 26-for-32 first round with a 15-for-16 second round.
Dinunzio, who is currently enrolled at Central Connecticut State and is a contributor to the sports blog Bleacher Report, made only one error in picking the Sweet Sixteen: he had #6-seed West Virginia going instead of #3-seed Kansas. WVU lost in the first round to Dayton, which in turn lost to Kansas today.
Dinunzio has 235 out of a possible 272 points. Hot on his heels are 1991 USC Law alum Michael Walsh with 233 points and 2007 Notre Dame Law alum Charles Franz with 230 points.
Franz, like Dinunzio, correctly predicted 15 of the Sweet 16, missing only on West Virginia. Two others, Dean Thor (in 23rd place) and Marty West (44th), also went 15-for-16, with Wake Forest their only incorrect pick. Nobody was 16-for-16.
Marlene Saviola is in fourth place with 228 points. Scott Schmidt, a.k.a. "Boi From Troy," who briefly had the lead earlier today, is fifth with 226. Jason Cowans, who led after Day 2 and Day 3, is now sixth with 224 points. Complete standings here.
Meanwhile, thanks in part to the mostly "chalk" nature of the tournament so far, a whopping 117 of the pool's 199 contestants are still mathematically alive to win. The Possible Outcomes page shows these contestants, ranked in the order of their likelihood of winning, assuming that each of the 32,768 remaining scenarios have an equal chance of happening.
Dinunzio and Walsh are the top 2 contestants in this scenario-based ranking, but they are followed by Neil Rampal (currently tied for 9th place), Greg Shtraks (tied for 20th), Rick Port (T-9th), Leanna Loomer (T-20th) and Vinny Jankowski (T-65th).