More to the list!

I promised you more info on how to select the brackets and here it goes. First off with the huge disparity between #1 seeds and #2 seeds well here it is. Only 5 out of 32 times has the #1 seed not made the sweet 16, while 15 out of 32 times has the #2 seed not made it to the sweet 16 this decade. Look at that again, before you fill out your brackets. This decade, half of the time a #2 seed doesn't make the Sweet 16. If you have all 4 #2 seeds making to the Sweet 16, change at least one of them right now. Since the expansion to 64/65 teams you can count all the years 4 #2 seeds have made the Sweet 16 on one hand. That's over 20 years worth of tournaments. Again if you listen to and read the "experts" see how many of them have all 4 #2 seeds in the Sweet 16. However, don't get too carried away, but be sure to have one #2 seed get an early exit.

All right we've all heard of the famous 5/12 matchups, however another slightly less publicized matchup is the 6/11. Only one tournament this decade has not featured an 11 upsetting a 6, so be sure to have one of those. Also, don't be quick to write in 4 seeds as winners. At least one 13 seed has upset their first round opponent in 4 out of the previous 8 tournaments this decade. Don't get carried away with upsets after the first round. The year of the upset (2006) still had three #1 seeds in Elite 8, two #2 seeds and one #3 seed in #Elite 8. Find a team that's made a few NCAA appearances in a row, but are low seeds. Best example of this is Vermontin 2005. They were a 16 seed in 2003, a 15 seed in 2004, then in 2005 as a 14 seed knocked off Syracuse. Other good examples are Manhattan, Butler, and Winthrop more recently.

When you get to the regionals (sweet 16, and elite 8) take a look at where the game will be held and who's playing where. If a team is playing close to home, go with them, the odds are in yourfavor. Best examples of this is 2006 LSU won the South Region played in Atlanta, UCLA won the west Region in Oakland, and George Mason won the East Region in D.C. In 2003 Syracuse won the East Regionin Albany, NY, Marquette won the Midwest Region in Minneapolis, and Texas won the South Region in San Antonio. Yes teams have lost Elite 8 games that are close to their home, but odds are on the side ofteams close to home winning. Again, treate your bracket like a roullette wheel. You may have a feeling about a certain team, but go with the odds more often than not. Finally make the National Champion at least a 4 seed, but more perferably a 1 seed, as since 1990 12 #1 seeds have won the tourney. Again that's well over 50%.

I'll post my predictions Wednesday evening. If you've made out your brackets and have them submitted to online pools, go back and look them over again, and once again, be sure to take into account location, date and time. All of those are bigger factors than you may realize.