I was tempted to boycott filling out an NCAA Tournament bracket this year because of my frustration and anger stemming from the committee’s decision to include Arkansas in the field of 65 and leave Kansas State out.
But dang-it-all if I filled out a bracket the very minute one was placed before me.
It’s a rite of spring to take those brackets and hope that maybe, just maybe, this is the year you predict all 60 games correctly, even if K-State did get royally ... well, you know.
Everyone has a way they like to fill out their brackets, and there is no right or wrong way. Just look at last year: Besides its own fans, who else had George Mason in the Final Four?
I think I had Mason losing in the first round, if I remember correctly.
But while there is no tried and true method to March Madness bracketing, there are some general guidelines one should always consider before putting the ink to the paper.
Here are a few of my suggestions:
F Fill out your bracket fast.
Don’t sit there and analyze the matchups and search the Internet for stats. Just zip right on through it.
I filled out my bracket in about 3 minutes. The end result? Florida, North Carolina, Pittsburgh and Memphis in the Final Four, with Florida as the champs over Carolina.
Although I do love Memphis.
F When the game appears to be a true toss-up, pick the higher seed.
Lets be honest, a lot of brackets will do well if every No. 1 seed is picked to make the Final Four.
But while upsets do happen, they rarely happen to a top-seeded team until the Elite Eight, and a 16 seed over a No. 1 has never happened.
F Don’t get caught up in records. They’re meaningless once the tournament hits.
If records were a good indication, then Davidson, with its 29-4 record, should be expected to beat Maryland (24-8) in the first round. Here’s a hint: Not gonna happen.
Terps, don’t make a fool out of me.
F When all else fails, go with the team with the better color.
In my case, I chose Long Beach State to beat Tennessee in the first round, and not just because a 12 seed always seems to beat a five seed (hint, hint).
I just can’t stand that nauseating highlighter orange the Volunteers wear, and I hope they exit the tourney early just to save my eyes from the strain. Go Long Beach State, proud bearers of gold and black unis.
Picking an entire bracket based solely on color preference is surprisingly a lot of fun.
F Lastly, use ink. None of this penciled in nonsense. You either fill your bracket out with a pen or you don’t fill one out at all. Don’t be that guy.