2025 NBA/ABA Tournament of Champions: Elimination Stage Round of 16 (Part 1)

When I started this project months ago, 88 teams entered between all the NBA champions since 1952, all the ABA champions, and some conference champions to fill out the field. We're now down to just 16 teams left.

All of our ABA champions are out, but three conference champions from the past 30 years are still alive. Meanwhile, half of our field left is champions from about the past 15 years, while we still have a little representation from the 1970s and 1980s still alive.

Seeding-wise, we had a lot less chalk in the Round of 32 than we did in the Round of 64. Just four of eight group winners remain (incidentally all in the top half of the bracket), while six of eight #2 seeds are still competing. The upset-minded teams at this point are one #3 seed, three #4 seeds, a #5 seed, and a #6 seed. At this point, anything can truly happen.

Maybe most incredibly as I started simulating series, I realized that the top four teams from Group A had all advanced to this stage. Group H was close behind with three teams in, but that includes one that finished in fifth place

As I did in each of the first couple rounds, this round will be broken up into a couple posts. Series being covered in Part 1 will be picked totally at random (with the caveat that I'm going down the selected list to not reveal any quarterfinal matchups at this point).

The up to date bracket, scores, and results from Group Play can be found here. All simulations are provided by WhatIfSports.com. Let's get to it!

2025 COAS Pigskin Pick 'Em: Week 12

The coalition is back for another go at it as we continue our quest to pick NFL games against the spread!

It was a fairly even week across the board. Joe and I split our two disputed games last week, while we each edged out Adam by the narrowest of margins; I took three of five while Joe took four of seven. Unfortunately for us that was just a dent as Adam's lead in the group remains pretty firm.

You can view how we've all picked in relation to each other here. Adam again sent a note in our group text about this, this time asking why we're so bad on consensus picks. I'm... not sure what he was talking about, as we split the four this week and keep our pace of a narrow majority hitting. The hero picks this weeks were also split, with Tom hitting on his lone try while Geoffrey went 1-2 in his. Adam's strong performance remains pretty heavily the basis for his current lead, which sits at seven games on the closest person and just 11 with me bringing up the rear.

As I continue to hope for my Thanksgiving heater, it may come this week as I dispute a whopping eight of 14 games with Adam. Joe has six disputed games with each of us. Let's get to it!

2025 COAS Pigskin Pick 'Em: Week 11

As the coalition returns for Week 11, I find myself still waiting for a heater that may never come.

I treaded water, I guess, as I split my four disputed games with Joe and only lost two of the three disputed games with Adam; Adam took four of seven from Joe last week. As a result I continue to fade from Adam, whose lead narrowed a bit on the whole but he still has a sizable lead on the rest of the group.

You can view how we've all picked in relation to each other here. Adam sent a very #FirstWorldProblems text early Sunday afternoon complaining about missing on his second of two hero picks to start Week 10 by just half a point and bringing everyone all square for the week to that point. He still has the most successful hero picks on the season, but not the best rate even discounting Joe's perfect mark on a single game as Tom nailed both of his Week 10 hero picks. An even week on consensus picks also keeps us in the black on those games to help buoy everyone's records.

As we move ahead to Week 11, I have a chance to cut into the deficit as Adam and I disagree on five games. Joe and I dispute just two, while the two of them disagree on seven out of 15. Let's get to it!

2025 COAS Pigskin Pick 'Em: Week 10

The coalition returns as we get ready to make the turn into the second half of the 2025 NFL season, and we have more picks to make.

Adam is back on his BS again... that, or I just had a really bad week. He swept all disputed games with both Joe and I, while Joe swept our two disputed games. As a result I'm now pretty cleanly in last place and hoping for my prophesied Thanksgiving heater coming a couple weeks early so I can get back into things. Adam, with his dominant showing, has now opened up a seven game lead for first place.

You can view how we've all picked in relation to each other here. We continue to do well in consensus games as we hit a bunch later in Week 9. Adam's lead largely stems from, like I said, his usual nonsense in hero picks as he hit on both of his from last week. As a group, we are 17-22 in such games, but just 7-18 if you take Adam out of the equation.

The desperate comeback is going to have to be a gradual one, as Adam and I disagree on just three games this week. Meanwhile Joe and I dispute four, and the two of them differ on half of 14 games. Let's get to it!

2025 NBA/ABA Tournament of Champions: Elimination Stage Round of 32 (Part 4)

Just four series remain in the Round of 32 in the NBA/ABA Tournament of Champions, but honestly, I don't know how we top the last four we covered.

After most of our Round of 32 games early on were resolved fairly quickly, we had three separate seven game classics between heavyweights in the last batch. Of those three, two of them were won by the lower seeded team. And with both of those series, both our #2 overall seed and our #3 overall seed are gone.

At this point, four of our matchups for the Round of 16 have been determined, and the remaining four will be decided with the results of this batch.

The up to date bracket, scores, and results from Group Play can be found here. All simulations are provided by WhatIfSports.com. Let's get to it!

2025 COAS Pigskin Pick 'Em: Week 9

The coalition is back at it as we near the halfway point of the 2025 NFL season!

It was the most groupthink week I think we've ever had last week, that even included a couple late changes reducing it even further. It worked out for us, as we all split our two disputed games with each other. As a result, Adam's lead among the columnists remains where it was and just seven games separates first from last place among the entire group.

You can view how we've all picked in relation to each other here. Due to the groupthink there were quite a few consensus picks last week, and we continue to have some good success there. And as a group, hero picks have hit at a very good rate, with Adam's usual success in those games being a large reason why he's at the top of the leaderboard.

So as we move on to this next week, Adam and I disagree on five games, Joe and I on just two, and the two of them on three out of 14. Let's get to it!

2025 COAS Pigskin Pick 'Em: Week 8

The coalition is back at it as we enter Week 8 of the 2025 NFL season!

Adam mentioned over text when I passed along our disputed game count for last week that it was a heavy one and that he expected we'd split. Sure enough, he and I split our six disputed games; Joe had a better week though as he swept our two disputed games and took five of eight from Adam.

The bad news for me now is that I'm tied for the bottom of the group standings, though not for having a bad week. It was just that others had a better week, as six games still separate me and Adam, though his lead for the whole group is down to just four games.

You can view how we've all picked in relation to each other here. After hovering around .500 in consensus picks, we hit on all four of ours this past week, which was a big reason why the whole group finished above .500 for the week. Adam's lead once again stems from his continued success in hero picks, though he split his two from last week.

As we look ahead to the new week, we have one of the more groupthink-laden set of picks in column history. All told, we disagree with each other on just two games apiece. Let's get to it!