Bracketology - Tips on Winning the Million Dollar Madness Contest

Here are some pointers when filling out the BetUS Contest Bracket.

1. Stick to higher seeds - - It used to be the norm that a lot of lower seeded teams could upset higher seeded teams, but that doesn’t seem to be the case any longer.  Teams that have shown the ability to win during the regular season will be tough to beat in the Big Dance.  Sure, a team like Davidson could make a run, but at the end of the day, the higher seeds usually prevail.
2. Guards Rule March Madness - - It’s all about guard play during March Madness.  Having a great inside game, like Oklahoma this year with Blake Griffin, can take you only so far before you run into a terrific guard team that’s going to beat you from the outside.  This isn’t to say that teams who rely on an inside game have no shot.  It’s just to say that always check out how the guards on a team you like are playing before putting that team on your bracket.
3. Teams on a roll usually stay on a roll - - This is particularly true for teams that we’re expected to do well like the Duke Blue Devils.  Duke is on a serious roll right now.  I wouldn’t want to play them in the first two rounds.  Missouri is another team on a roll that should do well in the tournament.  Pick teams that have been winning games recently and you should be okay.
4. If you pick a long shot, pick one against a team that they could beat on paper - - What this means is that if you really believe a long shot has a chance, then pick it because it looks like it could beat the team it’s facing, not because the team it’s facing looks like it could lose.  A great example is Oklahoma again who will go into the tournament off of a bad month.  Sure, Oklahoma could lose, but can their first round or second round opponents, Morgan State, Clemson or Michigan, really beat them?  Probably not.  But Mississippi State, who won the SEC Tournament Championship this past Sunday, sure looks like a nice bet to upset the #4 seed Washington Huskies in the West Bracket.  Pick long shots that make sense.
5. When in doubt, go with the coaches - - This is a huge strategy to remember.  Coaches that have proven to field successful teams in the NCAA Tournament often times do so again and again and again.
   
   

Here are some coaches and their respective teams to think about when filling out your brackets.

• Duke – Mike Kryezwski
• Michigan State – Tom Izzo
• North Carolina – Roy Williams
• Memphis – John Calipari
• Kansas – Bill Self
• UCLA – Ben Howland
• Louisville – Rick Pitino
  
  

There are a few others.  The point is that top coaches are top coaches for a reason.  They take their teams deep into the Big Dance.  These are the guys you want on your side once the tournament starts.