IT! IS! TIME!!! Now that March Madness is over, DIII Tennis Bracket-Season is upon us! Just like last season, the resident Blog Bracket Master is back to indulge your gambling pleasure. Over the next few weeks, we will have many chances to predict the future, but for now we are graced with the 114th Ojai Tournament. D3West was making fun of me for loving the Ojai so much, but how can you not? It’s a better version of a Fall Regional ITA, because everyone is in midseason form. Last year, Brian Tan took home the Ojai (virtual) trophy, and was lucky enough to participate in a Blog Interview. Really, there’s no greater trophy. Same stakes this year, the winner will get his or her own platform to talk about whatever the heck they want, in an interview with yours truly. Just follow the instructions below and start predicting/clicking away. This is your chance to get the kinks out of the system (and/or sign up for your free account) before the NCAA brackets! You have until Friday at 10:59am EDT to make your selections. Good luck!
Scoring: Each round counts as 1 point, with doubling point values for subsequent rounds.
Instructions:
1) Open the following link in a new tab/window (after which you should be taken to the bracket-maker site)
http://www.bracketmaker.com/tlist.cfm?tid=458629
2) Click on the “2015 Ojai” link (after which you should see the draw)
3) Click the Predict It link, in the top left corner of the draw
4) You have to register with the site (for free of course)
4a) Enter your name and REAL email. The name doesnt have to be real, but the email does bc you will get a confirmation link.
4b) Get your new password emailed to you (this is instantaneous)
4c) Enter your new password with your email into the site (after which you should be taken back to the draw)
5) Pick your 1st round matches! You do not need to do anything with the players (all 16 seeds) who have byes.
6) After picking all 16 matches, click enter at the bottom of the page (after which you should be taken to all 2nd round matchups). PLEASE NOTE ALL MATCHES WILL BE LOCKED IN AFTER PRESSING ENTER. IF U WISH TO CHANGE YOUR PREDICTIONS, YOU WILL HAVE TO DELETE YOUR BRACKET AND START OVER (at the bottom left of the page).
7) Pick 2nd round matches
8) Press enter at the bottom of the page to be presented with 3rd round matchups.
9) Continue picking and hitting enter at the end of each round until you have picked a winner.
Good luck to everybody! Tweet at me or email me with any bracket issues (which have already happened) and we’ll try to iron out the kinks as quickly as possible.
What happens to our brackets if someone drops out and an alternate is thrown in?
Unfortunately, I didn’t get the notice until the matches had already started. So in Chadalavada’s case, if you picked Tyler Linscott then you’re going to get a point for Chadalavada taking down teammate Thomas Low in the 1st round. Sorry about that. Luckily NCAAs are better about announcing the alternates. Appreciate the heads up from Coach Belletto via twitter though!
Having no idea how much extra time it takes to create, will there be an Ojai doubles challenge as well?
I will consult the Bracket guru, D3Northeast. Maybe!
No Ojai doubles challenge this time. There will certainly be an NCAA Doubles challenge! Feel free to comment with your dubs picks on D3West’s “This Week in the West.” You can click the link at the bottom of this article.