GOG 2011-12 #00: This is gonna be a fun year

That's right boys and girls - the GOG is back for another season. This year should prove to be an exciting addition to the history of UK Basketball and what better way to enjoy it than to make blind guesses at random questions regarding games that haven't been played yet! The GOG (Guess the Outcome Game) is a season long contest to see who possesses the most clairvoyant Magic 8 Ball by predicting the outcomes for games before they are actually played. Intrigued? Read On!

A little GOG History

The GOG was originally started at fellow SBN site Athletics Nation for the 2005 baseball season and was run by AN members Alien and Jjjsixsix. This is the 3rd year for the GOG on ASoB and I think those who participated the last two years have had a lot of fun. Last year btcoop swept the awards - something we hope UK does this season on the court. Last year's results can be found here.

A few changes for this season

There are two things different for the GOG this year. The first is fairly minor - a few alterations to question types that will be explained in more detail below. The other change is a bit more significant. In the past each game received its own GOG (with the exception of tournament games which were combined into a single GOG). This year though I am going to do a single GOG for several games combined, grouped by week. For instance, GOG #01 will include both Marist and Kansas. The primary reason is to reduce the time involved (I've got a busy semester) but I also hope that fewer overall contests will make it a bit easier for people to stay involved throughout the season.

So How Do You Play?

This part is very simple. Each week I will post a list of questions for you to predict the answers to. This will usually occur the day before the first game for the GOG. Just come up with your answers and leave them as a comment. There is a deadline for the answers, which will typically be tip-off for the game in question. Examples of some of previous GOG's are here and here to give you an idea.

Questions will fall under 5 general categories and are scored as follows:

• Yes/no type questions are worth +1 point for a correct answer or -1 point for an incorrect answer. Example: if the question is "Does Terrence Jones record a double-double against Kansas?" and then TJ goes out and impersonates DeMarcus Cousins, you would get +1 point for answering "yes" and -1 point for answering "no".
• Open ended questions are worth between 3 and 5 points for a correct answer, with no penalty for a wrong answer. The point value varies depending on the difficulty of the question. Example: "Which UK player grabs the most rebounds?" would be a 3 point open ended question (because the options are rather limited), whereas "Who is the NCAA Tournament MOP" would be a 5 point question.
  
• A common question format is to guess some stat line for a particular player in a game. These questions will have three parts, worth two points each, with no penalty for wrong answers. Example: "Predict Marquis Teague's points/assists/steals against UNC."
• Guess a (high) point total question: This question is typically about guessing both UK's and the opponents respective points scored for the game. Because there is such a wide range of possibilities, answers are graded on a sliding scale. Getting it dead on is worth 4 points, being within 1 is worth 3 points, within 2 or 3 is worth 2 points, and being within 4 or 5 of the correct answer is worth 1 point.
• Rank a list in order question: This is a new one (sort of) where I give you a list of teams/players/something and you put them in order from 1st to last based on some criteria. Every correct placement is worth 1 point with no penalty for incorrect answers. Example: "Rank the freshmen from 1st to last based on season ppg."
• There may be questions with other scoring systems, but those will be explained as they occur.

After each game, I will tally up and post the scores and keep track of total points and "shooting percentage" for the entire season (40% of GOGs played needed to qualify for Scoring Average). I encourage everyone to play the entire season, but don't fret if you miss a GOG, just play the next time!

A word about clarity: I try as much as possible to write the questions in such a way so that it is clear what I am asking for. If you need a clarification though, just mention it in your entry and I'll respond as soon as I see it.

Round 00 of the 2011-2012 GOG is a very special one: you get to make your predictions for the whole season!

Deadline for entries is tip-off with Marist at 7:00 PM Friday, Nov. 11.

Note: Unless otherwise specified, questions refer to the combined non-conference, conference and postseason (No exhibition games are included).

Link to schedule.

A couple of scoring notes:

For #11 and #12, If you had Florida, Vandy, and/or Tennessee ranked anywhere from 2-4th you received credit since the teams tied for 2nd place. Same for Ole Miss and Miss St for 2nd and 3rd in the West.

For #17 and #24 I counted answers correct if they were within 15% of the correct answer

For #20, MKG did not finish on the single Game steals list. I didn't specify how I would handle such an occurrence so I counted it correct for everyone.

GOG 2011-12 #00: Preseason Predictions (116 points)

1. Who scores the Cats' first points of the season? [3 points] Davis
2. Predict UK's final record this season (all games including postseason). [5 points] 38-2
3. Last year's team struggled on the road. What is the road record for this team (true road games only: 9 games)? [3 points] 8-1
4. What is the Cat's longest winning streak this season? [4 points] 24 games
   
5. What are the most points scored in a single game by the Cats this season? [4/3/2/1 point] 108
6. What are the fewest points allowed by the Cats in a single game this season? [4/3/2/1 point] 40
7. What is the largest margin of victory in a game for UK this season? [4/3/2/1 point] 50
8. How many weeks do the Cats spend ranked #1 concurrently in both the AP Poll and Coaches Poll? [4 points] 10
9. Where does UK finish in the Pomeroy Rankings this season? [3 points] #1
10. Last year UK played a single period of OT. How many periods of Overtime do they play this year? (Note: this is the combined number of OT periods, so a double OT game would count as 2) [3 points] 0
11. The divisions are technically gone, but for old times' sake: Rank the (former) East Division teams in order of finish. [1 point each, 6 points total] UK, Tennessee/Vandy/Florida, Georgia, SC
12. Same as above but for the former SEC West. [1 point each, 6 points total] Alabama, OleMiss/Miss St, LSU, Arkansas, Auburn
13. Which 4 SEC teams receive the first round bye in the SEC Tournament this year? [3 points each, 12 points total] UK, Tennessee, Vandy, Florida
    
14. Too early? NEVER! Pick this year's Final Four. [5 points each, 20 points total] UK, Louisville, Kansas, Ohio St
15. Like I don't know everyone's answer to this one already: Who wins the NCAA Tournament: UK/UNC or the field? [ +1 if correct, -1 if incorrect] UK/UNC
    
16. Rank the freshmen in order (1st to last) of points scored this season. [1 point each, 4 points total] Davis, MKG, Teague, Wiltjer
17. Terrence Jones is a monster. Predict his per game averages for Points/Rebounds/Blocks+Steals this year. [2 points each, 6 points total] 12.3 / 7.2 / 2.9
18. Fabulous Freshmen #1: Where does Anthony Davis finish on UK's single Season Blocks list? [3 points] #1
19. Fabulous Freshmen #2: Where does Marquis Teague finish on UK's single Season Assists list? [3 points] 5
20. Fabulous Freshmen #3: Where does Michael Kidd-Gilchrist finished on UK's single Game Steals list? [3 points] Not Ranked
21. Fabulous Freshmen #4: Where does Kyle Wiltjer finish on UK's single Season 3pt FG% list? [3 points] 18
22. Darius Miller and Doron Lamb have had spirited 3pt shooting battles in practice. Which one finishes the season with the best 3pt FG%? [ +1 if correct, -1 if incorrect] Lamb
23. Who has more double-doubles: Anthony Davis or Terrence Jones? [ +1 if correct, -1 if incorrect] Davis
24. I hope for a big senior season from Darius Miller: predict his per game averages for Made 3pt Shots /Assists/Blocks. [2 points each, 6 points total] 1.4 / 2.1 / 0.3
25. Is this the year? Can it happen again? Will UK finally get another Triple-Double? [ +1 if correct, -1 if incorrect] No
26. Who scores the last points of the season? [3 points] Lamb
27. Special Bonus #1: Everyone who plays at least 40% of the GOGs this year will receive a 50% bonus to their score for GOG #00!
28. Special Bonus #2: Guess the total number of points scored by UK this year. The closest answer will receive 3 points and everyone who is within 5% of the correct answer will receive 1 point. 3095