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This month held the NCAA basketball championships. March Madness is one of the highest grossing events in college sports. Fans from all around the world put brackets together in hopes of winning prizes (typically money) in pools with their friends, coworkers, or family. A bracket is an analysis and guess of who will win in each round of the playoffs.
This year one of my professors decided it would be fun to do a class pool with March Madness, with the winner in the class getting a prize. I decided to participate, even though I knew nothing about basketball, and was in the top 5 for the first two rounds. Like most people who completed a bracket this year, my bracket blew up regularly. The biggest one being the Michigan State upset in round 1, seeing as I had them to win the tournament. Even though my bracket is not the greatest, here are some tips for anyone thinking of putting together a bracket next year:
Research the First Round
In the first round it is best to research the odds of teams beating each other. Yes, there are upsets *cough MichiganState cough*, but if you know nothing about basketball, it is best to go with the likely winner.
Go With Your Gut
Is there a team that stands out to you for some reason? Might as well stick with that team, there really is nothing to lose.
Ask Opinions
If you have friends who watch basketball or understand the game better, go to them for advice. Maybe they have some insider knowledge that will affect the setup of your bracket.
Guess
It is all just for fun, so make it up!
As you can see, my bracket is a mess, but it was fun participating in this class activity. It was also nice to be in second for a week.