The grandkids came over Sunday afternoon. Bad timing. MSU was tipping off in the Big Ten Championship Finals. So I set up some fishing rods and sent them out to the dock. “Don’t hook your eyes cause you’ll have to wait until halftime to get it unhooked”.
I love my grandkids but this was too important. Fortunately, they managed to survive the day undamaged. I was able to watch the game in peace.
And what a game it was. In a slugfest State held on to win over a tough Purdue team.Just the kind of close win they needed heading into the tourney.
Now its time for the Big Dance. March Madness is here.
It’s Izzo time!
And it’s time to come up with your excuses for missing work (vasectomies skyrocket during this week), get the gang together at your local watering hole, grab some beers and watch your favorite teams.
But the best part of March Madness is picking your brackets. After a whole year of casually watching basketball now you get to be an expert with a chance to win some money from your co-workers.
And like the annual rules for picking the Bowl Games here are some tips to stay in contention longer in your pools
I love my grandkids but this was too important. Fortunately, they managed to survive the day undamaged. I was able to watch the game in peace.
And what a game it was. In a slugfest State held on to win over a tough Purdue team.Just the kind of close win they needed heading into the tourney.
Now its time for the Big Dance. March Madness is here.
It’s Izzo time!
And it’s time to come up with your excuses for missing work (vasectomies skyrocket during this week), get the gang together at your local watering hole, grab some beers and watch your favorite teams.
But the best part of March Madness is picking your brackets. After a whole year of casually watching basketball now you get to be an expert with a chance to win some money from your co-workers.
And like the annual rules for picking the Bowl Games here are some tips to stay in contention longer in your pools
Rule 1 take State all the way - the rest of the rules don't matter 1. Always pick MSU to win it all. Well, that’s more of a house rule. I always do since I don’t want to be in a position where State does win it all and I sheepishly picked someone else.
2. Pick your Final Four first and work backwards. Starting in the opening rounds and working forward inevitably leads to leaving you with some unintentional Cinderella heading to Houston.
3. Advance all the No. 1 seeds. A No. 1 seed has never lost in the round of 64. The top seeds are 124-0 since seeding began. It may happen someday, but no sense blowing your bracket this year waiting for that to happen.
4. Advance your 2 seeds at least one game but then look for upsets. The No. 2 seeds have taken a quite a few hits over last few seasons. Last year two number 2s lost after winning just one game (Kansas and Virginia). The same thing happened in 2014 (Kansas and Villanova).
2. Pick your Final Four first and work backwards. Starting in the opening rounds and working forward inevitably leads to leaving you with some unintentional Cinderella heading to Houston.
3. Advance all the No. 1 seeds. A No. 1 seed has never lost in the round of 64. The top seeds are 124-0 since seeding began. It may happen someday, but no sense blowing your bracket this year waiting for that to happen.
4. Advance your 2 seeds at least one game but then look for upsets. The No. 2 seeds have taken a quite a few hits over last few seasons. Last year two number 2s lost after winning just one game (Kansas and Virginia). The same thing happened in 2014 (Kansas and Villanova).
5. Speaking of Kansas – they suck in the tourney. Since 2011 the have been either a 1 or 2 seed every year. They only made it to the Final Four once (2012). The last two years they have been 2 seeds and have not made the Sweet Sixteen. The talk this year is how they are the number 1 seed overall. This could be their biggest choke yet. Don’t be afraid to bounce them.
6. The 3 seeds are even more susceptible to falling to 14 seeds. Last year, two 3 seeds got bounced in the first round (Baylor and Iowa State). In 2014 Doofus Daughter number 3 watched her Mercer Bears take down Dook. In 2013, Mr H watched his Harvard Crimson upset New Mexico.
7. It was trendy to take the 12 seeds to upset the 5 seeds. In 2013 and 2014, 3 of the 4 number 12 seeds won. But last year the 5 seeds played much better. They won all 4 games and two advanced to the Sweet Sixteen. But if you wnat to have fun - take a 12 to beat a 5!
6. The 3 seeds are even more susceptible to falling to 14 seeds. Last year, two 3 seeds got bounced in the first round (Baylor and Iowa State). In 2014 Doofus Daughter number 3 watched her Mercer Bears take down Dook. In 2013, Mr H watched his Harvard Crimson upset New Mexico.
7. It was trendy to take the 12 seeds to upset the 5 seeds. In 2013 and 2014, 3 of the 4 number 12 seeds won. But last year the 5 seeds played much better. They won all 4 games and two advanced to the Sweet Sixteen. But if you wnat to have fun - take a 12 to beat a 5!
Have fun! take a 12 to beat a 5 8. Drop some No. 1s or a No. 2s in the round of 32. In the last five Tournaments, eleven of the forty No. 1 or No. 2 seeds lost before the Sweet 16. The teams in seeds 7-10 are talented but streaky, capable of knocking off a top seed on a two day turnaround.
9. Don’t fall in love with upsets. Everyone remembers the Mercers, Butlers, VCUs, George Mason and Florida Gulf Coasts of the tourney. But it’s because they are so rare that they are so memorable. The truth is that it’s highly unlikely that a low seed will make the Final Four. Of the last 20 Final Four teams, 14 were top-four seeds.
10. That said don’t go all favorites in the Final Four. A Final Four of all 1 seeds has happened only once since they began seeding in 1979 (2008). And it makes your bracket too safe and not too much fun. I mean, what’s to brag about if you got that Final Four right. Have some fun and earn some bragging rights. Take some lower seeds. On average, over the last 20 years, the total of the seeds in the Final Four has been around 14. If you are 10 or below – too safe. Over 20 – you are playing without the net. Over 20 has only happened 3 times over the last 21 years (though it did happen in 2011).
9. Don’t fall in love with upsets. Everyone remembers the Mercers, Butlers, VCUs, George Mason and Florida Gulf Coasts of the tourney. But it’s because they are so rare that they are so memorable. The truth is that it’s highly unlikely that a low seed will make the Final Four. Of the last 20 Final Four teams, 14 were top-four seeds.
10. That said don’t go all favorites in the Final Four. A Final Four of all 1 seeds has happened only once since they began seeding in 1979 (2008). And it makes your bracket too safe and not too much fun. I mean, what’s to brag about if you got that Final Four right. Have some fun and earn some bragging rights. Take some lower seeds. On average, over the last 20 years, the total of the seeds in the Final Four has been around 14. If you are 10 or below – too safe. Over 20 – you are playing without the net. Over 20 has only happened 3 times over the last 21 years (though it did happen in 2011).
Say buh bye to those bubble teams 11. All that talk about bubble teams, forget it. Starting in February all the talk is about bubble teams. Now you can forget about them. Those teams had trouble clinching a Tourney bid because they couldn’t win consistently. Teams from major conferences that are bubble teams are bubble teams because their flawed. Not so much though with teams from mid majors. They can be dangerous.
12. Advance at least one First Four Winner to the Round of 32. Over the last five years at least one of the First Four teams (not playing for the 16th seed) has won at least one game.
13. Find balance on offense and defense. Defense wins championship in football. Not so much in basketball. Basketball is more about balance. The champion for 11 of the last 12 years (UConn was the exception in 2014) has ranked in the top 20 in both of Ken Pomeroy’s adjusted offensive and defensive rankings. This year seven teams earned that ranking – Kansas, Virginia, North Carolina, Michigan State, Villanova, Oklahoma, Purdue and West Virginia.
12. Advance at least one First Four Winner to the Round of 32. Over the last five years at least one of the First Four teams (not playing for the 16th seed) has won at least one game.
13. Find balance on offense and defense. Defense wins championship in football. Not so much in basketball. Basketball is more about balance. The champion for 11 of the last 12 years (UConn was the exception in 2014) has ranked in the top 20 in both of Ken Pomeroy’s adjusted offensive and defensive rankings. This year seven teams earned that ranking – Kansas, Virginia, North Carolina, Michigan State, Villanova, Oklahoma, Purdue and West Virginia.
Ellis likes the way UNC is playing defense Lots of sometimes conflicting advice. But some trends emerge. Here’s what I’m looking at this year.
1. Starting with the Final Four – I’ll take State in the Midwest obviously.
2. The talking heads are saying Kentucky will beat UNC to advance in East. I hate talking heads. I’ll go with the Heels. They “are playing defense finally” according to Ellis.
3. In the South – will Kansas live up to their high ranking? They rarely do. I’ll take Cal to knock the Jayhawks off to advance to the Elite Eight and then Final Four.
4. I haven’t bought into Oregon in the West so I will take Oklahoma and the second best player in college basketball – Bobby Hield.
5. That makes total seeds for the Final Four equal 9. A tad low but last years was 10 (three 1s plus MSU at 7) so I’ll go with it.
6. For my non 16 seed First Four upset – well, you can’t take Michigan so I’ll go with Wichita State to knock off Arizona.
7. For the 13 over 4 upset – Duke is always susceptible but I’ll go with Iona over Iowa State. Iowa State is a lot like Kansas. They get a lot of buzz and then fail miserably.
8. I’m going to go with all the 5s to beat the 12s for the second year in a row. Indiana is the most likely to go down.
9. Any 1 or 2s going to lose in the round of 32? This is usually Kansas’ sweet spot but I’ll take Oregon to lose to Cincinnati.
Put it all together and here is my 2016 bracket
1. Starting with the Final Four – I’ll take State in the Midwest obviously.
2. The talking heads are saying Kentucky will beat UNC to advance in East. I hate talking heads. I’ll go with the Heels. They “are playing defense finally” according to Ellis.
3. In the South – will Kansas live up to their high ranking? They rarely do. I’ll take Cal to knock the Jayhawks off to advance to the Elite Eight and then Final Four.
4. I haven’t bought into Oregon in the West so I will take Oklahoma and the second best player in college basketball – Bobby Hield.
5. That makes total seeds for the Final Four equal 9. A tad low but last years was 10 (three 1s plus MSU at 7) so I’ll go with it.
6. For my non 16 seed First Four upset – well, you can’t take Michigan so I’ll go with Wichita State to knock off Arizona.
7. For the 13 over 4 upset – Duke is always susceptible but I’ll go with Iona over Iowa State. Iowa State is a lot like Kansas. They get a lot of buzz and then fail miserably.
8. I’m going to go with all the 5s to beat the 12s for the second year in a row. Indiana is the most likely to go down.
9. Any 1 or 2s going to lose in the round of 32? This is usually Kansas’ sweet spot but I’ll take Oregon to lose to Cincinnati.
Put it all together and here is my 2016 bracket
Sparty On!!
And remember - the 2016 GO JUMBO trip is Nov 5 at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort
And remember - the 2016 GO JUMBO trip is Nov 5 at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort
