Lake Zurich Boy Finishes On Top Of NCAA Bracket Challenge, But Won't Get Big Prize
CHICAGO (CBS) -- When Duke defeated Wisconsin for the NCAA basketball title, a 12-year-old boy from Lake Zurich ended up tied for the best bracket on ESPN.
Sam Holtz missed only six games in the entire tournament, and ended up tied for first out of 11.5 million entries in the ESPN Bracket Challenge.
"During the regular season, I really don't watch that much basketball," he said Tuesday. "I normally just picked whoever I really liked, whoever had the highest seeds, and I did study a little bit before."
Even so, he was perfect in the Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight, Final Four, and the title game, thanks to Duke's rally to beat Wisconsin.
"I was getting a little worried there," he said.
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However, because Sam is not 18 years old, he doesn't qualify for the prize: a $25,000 Best Buy gift card and a trip to the 2015 Maui Invitational..
He said he was hoping his dad could claim the prize, since he signed into the challenge with his dad's email address, but he'll have to settle for a gift basket.
"I still think I should get something a little bit better," he said.
