The first-round matchups have been announced, which means fans have until Thursday morning to fill out their brackets and lock-in their picks. With 64 teams in both the women’s and men’s leagues, this process can be overwhelming. Here are some tips for creating a slam-dunk bracket.
1. Consider experience levels.
March Madness is a whole different ball game. The intense competition, paired with extensive media coverage, shines a new kind of spotlight on athletes.
Some teams have found success all season by relying on their freshmen. These players certainly have what it takes to rise up to the challenge, but veteran athletes who’ve been through the tournament before have a significant advantage.
These experienced players know how to deal with the media blitz, in-game decisions and close finishes. This is something to consider when filling out brackets, especially when it’s a hard decision between two teams.
Coaching experience also matters; the ones who’ve made March Madness before have a history that can help them do well against inexperienced coaches.
2. Work backwards.
It’s hard to make 64 decisions at once, possibly 128 if you’re filling out a women’s and men’s bracket. Start with one decision–who do you think will make the championship game? Then pick an overall winner.
Oftentimes, people know a lot about the top teams in the bracket who are most likely to make it far. That makes it easier to make informed decisions further down the bracket.
Once you’ve picked a winner, the rest of the bracket starts to fall into place. Working backwards can make the first-round decisions seem smaller and the overall bracket process that much smoother.
3. Give the underdog their due.
March Madness has its name for a reason: the unexpected always happens. Therefore, you shouldn’t make your bracket simply based on rankings. Besides, if everyone picked the higher seed to win every game, comparing and competing with other fans on brackets wouldn’t be any fun.
Don’t go overboard with the underdog picks, but select at least one lower-seed team that you think has the potential to go far. There’s a Cinderella story every year; the trick is deciding who it is going to be.
