A long, long time ago sax solo started a game that was a major hit. Then, he failed to show up anymore. Two years ago, I started this thing up again midseason only to forget about it last year. This year, however, I put it on my calendar for early December to reprise the event that I enjoyed so much. So, it's closing in on the time to start up the Duel again.

I know it's pretty early and there are definitely some games left to gauge the quality of the second best teams in conference. In general, unless I get some backlash in the notes, I don't think most of these conferences start until about the turn of the year, so, I think the deadline for entry is going to be 1/2/2020 end of day PST to allow you to enter them while at the office after getting back from break.

Here's how to play:

1. Pick 15 teams, one from each of 15 conferences which, I think, all send a representative to the NCAA tournament.

Those conferences are:

1. The American Athletic Conference
2. The Atlantic 10
3. The ACC
4. The Big 12
5. The Big 10
6. The Big East
7. The Ivy League
8. The MAC - This one is weird in that they have divisions, but since ties are also busts it goes off of the best conference record regardless of division.
9. The Missouri Valley Conference
10. The Mountain West Conference
11. The Pac 12 Conference
12. The SEC
13. The West Coast Conference
14. The Summit Conference (you're welcome Fetch)
    
15. The Big Sky Conference (you're welcome Fizzle)
    

2. Comment here with your picks *before* the day ends at 12:00 AM (PT) on Thursday Jan. 2 2020.

If your picks are the same as someone else's who came before you, and you submitted in the last day I'll give one day grace period to make a change. Otherwise, you're getting whatever the worst team ends up being in the SEC and I hope that means Missery.

3. Watch your picks lose their way to victory.

For each conference game one of your picks wins, you get one point.

However, if your team wins the conference, aka they get the most wins, or tie for most wins, then they GO BUST, and you get ZERO points for them. All their wins are gone, and the skies are gray.

The contest winner is the one with the most points. Ties will be broken by average FT% of all your picks. The second place person in the tie breaker will have the option to challenge the winner to an actual free throw contest to reverse the decision, but it must be publicized to count.

4. Collect your prize

The lord/lady high champion, picker of losers, has a choice between three prizes:

• Fizzle's email address so you can hassle him for beer or just to privately give him hell about his food takes.
• Nothing at all.
• A face tat from somewhere in the Liberty City section of Miami. (You're welcome Mike)