Whether you bleed red and blue, cheer for the other Wildcats from Kentucky, or know it is Duke’s year to go all the way, it’s the month you’ve been waiting for and decision time is now. Selection Sunday has come and gone and it’s officially time to fill out those brackets. “Friendly” bets with friends have been made and office pools are waiting. There’s only one thing left to decide – how are you breaking down your bracket? How you go about determining what college basketball team will earn the coveted center spot on your bracket is what we’re dubbing bracketology. Not sure exactly where you fall? Read on for the four most common bracketology methods.
1. College Loyalist
You gave it four years (at least) of your life, you probably created amazlingly elaborate costumes and orchestrated stunts to show off your loyalty to your school; why would you quit now? If you always pick your alma mater to win big (this year they for sure will, right?) – you fall into this category.
The Center Slot will be … You bleed your school colors, so your college team will always sit in the place of honor – no matter what the experts say or how many times they disappoint you. Just sit back, play your
college’s fight song and get to filling out the rest of your bracket.
2. Rooting for the Underdog
Every good story comes with an upset (remember The Blind Side), right? If you have a soft spot for the little guy, you may just find yourself letting them advance on your bracket further than most. And this is totally a legit thing to do. You were likely the only one in your bracket pool who was happy during Witchita State’s tournament games in 2013. PsychCentral even has research on
why people root for the underdog – albeit, they don’t say they’re always rewarded with the win.
The Center Slot will be … We’re not saying you’re going to pick a nobody to win it all, but maybe you just have a soft spot for ducks (they are super cute) and are going to go with Oregon. Or maybe Ohio? What’s threatening about a nut?
3. Picking the Top Dog
They’ve been the best this season for a reason and they’re sure to continue their amazing play. All you have to do is put on an inspiring,
pre-game playlist, sit back and follow the advice of the
sports show experts to fill out your bracket.
The Center Slot will be … Kentucky – they’re undefeated in the regular season. No explanation needed.
4. Playing Statistician
Joe Lunardi,
John Gasaway, and
Jerry Palm all have their predictions for March’s basketball outcomes, and there’s supposedly a
scientific equation out there, but you don’t trust the nightly reports or pseudo-analysis – yours is better. Whether it’s pulling stats from 12 years ago, factoring in how many 3-pointers have been made in the past 40 games, layering in team color combos and taking the wind chill factor in their home cities into account, your algorithm is tried and true. Well, at least you’ve been perfecting it and
this will be your year!
The Center Slot will be … For your eyes only! Unless you’re willing to share your bracket formula with us (tweet it to us!). A few things you’ll want to know:
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Kansas State players always look super sharp in black and purple – outlined in just a tad of silver
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The average
margin of victory in the tournament is 12.2
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Kentucky & Marquette are the two teams who have met most in the NCAA matchup
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The
average historical temperatures during March in Villanova, PA is a high of 53° and a low of 31°
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Wildcats is a pretty awesome mascot – no matter what state they’re from
So, who are you picking to win? As you sit down to make your picks, start this playlist of artists who will be headlining the
2015 March Madness Music Festival, on your
HEOS app in order to inspire you to determine who will reach the Final Four. No matter what type of bracketologist you are we wish all you bracketeers good luck!