That's my NCAA Bracket (I encourage you to click on it for a better look), as clearly I have partaken in the national tradition of filling out a bracket in hopes of predicting the future. I'm not doing this for any type of pool or anything, I just like filling out a bracket and seeing how I do. Allow me to explain a bracket, Hype-style though.
My brackets are characteristically me. There's a method to the madness (no pun intended) if you will.
-Yes, Notre Dame is my champion. I always go for a bit of an unorthodox yet possible champion. I'd don't know if I've ever picked a 1 seed to win it all. I like to go out on that kind of limb.
-Admittedly there are teams that I always extend too far and teams that I always sell short. Teams I favor and teams I don't trust is another way to look at it.
- I always have Ohio teams get deeper than they should since I'm a homer and I'm from Ohio. I actually toned that down this year though. I snubbed Akron against my eventual champ, Notre Dame (like that's going to happen anyway, I have my limits). However, I have Cincinnati in the Sweet 16 after defeating UConn. That's the major Ohio team I favor this year. I also somewhat sell Ohio St. short, in an effort to stick to my tradition of not going with the favorite to win, but they still reach the Final 4.
- Syracuse, Arizona and UCLA also tend to do really well in my brackets, mostly because they are traditional powerhouses that I like (not anything more complex than that). This year is no exception. 'Cuse beats North Carolina and reaches the Elite 8 before running into Ohio St. UCLA doesn't fair as well, losing to BYU in the Sweet 16, but they do beat Florida in the process. Arizona is also an Elite 8 team that beats both Texas and Duke on the way before running into San Diego St. Which leads me to my next tendency.
- Really good small name teams do really well on my bracket too. San Diego St and BYU are this year's recipients of that benefit. San Diego St. makes it to the championship game for me and BYU is an Elite 8 team before losing to Pitt.
- As you can tell, notably Christian schools do well in my brackets. I actually snub St. John's this year, though I've had them and St. Mary's travel deep before, this year I like Gonzaga more. And I had never heard of St. Peter before, no way I'm having them beat a 3. But ND is more champ, so that goes without saying.
As far as selling teams short, I do that a little too.
- I'm tired of both Duke and North Carolina so I tend to cut them short early. I have them both lose in the Sweet 16 here.
- Kansas St. has always for some reason never done well in my brackets either. I think its because I don't really consider K State a basketball school, probably because they are overshadowed in state by Kansas. I have K State upset by Utah St, as my biggest upset actually (too bad that already didn't work out).
-Also, the aforementioned Florida tends to not do well in my brackets. That's mostly because they continue to beat OSU in major sports.
That's at least a Reader's Almanac version of my tendencies and motives of my bracket. A lot of it is a sense of feel as well. Those are the things that make filling out the bracket so fun though. There are so many options, you can easily make a bracket and have it be characteristically you, which is also why I don't bother to make 64646464873 of them. That's my take on it at least.
So far I'm 13-5 in the first round, that's 72.2%. That's okay, good I guess, not great, but all my Elite 8 teams are still in. Unfortunately, I missed Richmond and Morehead St., but got Gonzaga. I swung and missed on Penn St. and Utah St.
Perhaps I will update where my bracket stands in the coming days and weeks.
Until then, world, what say you? Share your tendencies or own aspects for your bracket this year.
What's the baseline?
Pretty simple. NCAA brackets are fun and cool to make individually to a person. This is truly MY bracket. It my thoughts and tendencies. I'd love to pull it off and seem like a genius. You very well may feel similar about yours.
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