In March 24 IssueOut of a total of 205 NCAA tournament brackets turned into the Times Journal for this year's community bracket contest, only five brackets scored a 48 or higher during the first official weekend of the tournament.
With the final 16 teams set, including the Kentucky Wildcats, the five highest scorers to this point are Joseph Luttrell with 52 points, Cliff Auterson with 51 points, both June Blankenship and Jerry Helm with 49 points and Heather Bennett with 48 points.
This free event is again highlighted by the grand prize, a houseboat weekend on Lake Cumberland courtesy of Indian Hills Resort/Alligator II Marina, a $2,000 value.
Other runner-up prizes in the contest will include four oil changes from Franklin Motors, a $30 value for each change, a $25 gift certificate from The Porch in Russell Springs and a University of Kentucky plaid tote from Sarah's Cards and Gifts, a $21 value.
With both Louisville and Morehead St. now out of the tournament, the University of Kentucky remains the only in-state school left in the tournament. The Wildcats, seeded fourth, plays the one seed Ohio St. Buckeyes in Newark, New Jersey on Friday night at 8:45 central time. Kentucky, the 2011 SEC Tournament champions, has defeated Princeton and West Virginia en route to being one of the final 16 teams left in the tournament.
The sponsors for this year's Times Journal bracket contest are Indian Hills Resort/Alligator II Marina, Laker Country 104.9 fm WJRS/ESPN Radio 1060 am, Franklin Motors, The Porch Restaurant and Sarah's Cards and Gifts.
"We want to thank all who entered and by no means is the contest finished," said Times Journal Editor Derek Aaron. "With two more weekends of action ahead and big points coming it is still anyone's tournament."