It's almost that time of year again: March Madness! The brackets will be released with the 68 teams vying for the national championship. This year, many are vying for more. Billionaire Warren Buffett is offering a billion dollars to whomever can pick a perfect bracket. It's a rare and difficult feat, as so many upsets happen.
I wrote a while back how exciting the Cinderella teams make the tournament. However, it can be quite frustrating for those whose bracket may be busted.
Here are some tips for someone who has picked the champion a few times, and even picked the entire West Region correct once, upsets included.
1. A 16 has never beaten a 1 seed
This could be the year it happens, especially with the way the prospective #1 seeds have been playing as of late. However, don't count on it though. You can go ahead and safely pass the #1 seeds into the next round.
2. All four #1 seeds rarely make the Final Four.
It has happened a couple of times, and may happen again this year. However, analyze your matchups carefully, and don't just assume that the four #1s are gonna cruise through their respective regions.
3. Watch certain matchups for upsets and bracket busters.
Every year a #12 seed beats a #5, and a #10 beats a #7. The 6s vs 11s are also ones to watch. Analyze the teams, their schedules and such, and see which ones are most likely to fall.
4. Look at all intangibles
This includes: how close to home they are playing, their last 10 games, strength of schedule, conference, coaching and overall leadership on each team. The veterans typically rise up and play better, especially the second weekend. People are already discounting Wichita State due to their watered down schedule for example. However they have a lot of veteran, hungry players and an awesome coach in Gregg Marshall, whom I know well. Other coaches such as Boeheim, Donovan, Calipari and Coach K will have their teams ready to play. The individual and potential matchups are key.
5. Pay attention to big wins by mid major schools
The mid major schools such as Wichita are typically the most exciting to watch, and the ones with the most to gain and the least to lose. Do a little research and see how they performed this season against the power conferences, and even last year in the tourney. These are the teams that can mess up a bracket. VCU, Gonzaga, Creighton and others will not be a slouch for any teams.
Ok now bring on the brackets! I hope I can help someone win their office pool, tournament pick em group, or even that billion dollars.
What are some tips that have helped you in your past brackets?
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