NCAA March Madness Tips

March Madness, a trademark term, refers to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament that begins in March and culminates with the crowning of a champion. The 65-team tournament is run by the National Collegiate Athletic Association and runs over three weeks. March Madness is one of the most popular sporting events of the year. Spectators can fill out brackets of the tournament and see how their selections fare, which adds to the popularity of March Madness.

  1. Maintain the Proper Perspective

    • An important rule to remember during March Madness is to enjoy the tournament for what it is--an exciting few weeks of athletic competition where anything can happen. When watching the games enjoy yourself. Have some food and refreshments. Have a March Madness party. Do not be a spoil sport if your bracket is in shambles after the first round. No one likes a sore loser. On the other hand, if you figure out who survives to the end, you can claim bragging rights.

    Be Focused

    • Do not go crazy picking low seeds to advance far in the tournament. Cinderella stories are nice, but happen infrequently. To win at March Madness, participants need to keep upsets to the first few rounds. It may not be exciting or glamorous, but focus on the big picture. Brackets are not won in the opening round or two--it's a marathon, not a sprint. Upset picks might astound your friends and coworkers, but ultimately will be your undoing if you overdo it.

    Do Your Homework

    • Don't simply pick teams based on team colors or team mascot. Make sure you learn about the teams in the field. There are plenty of outlets to get information such as ESPN, Sports Illustrated and The Sporting News. Statistics such as team scoring averages, top scorers and player and coach profiles are available. On the flip side, there can be information overload. Make the most informed decisions about your picks. Then no matter what happens, you can feel good about yourself.

    Know the Rules

    • Know the rules of your pool. Some are easy to understand if you just draw a name out of a hat. However, if you're filling out a bracket for the entire tournament, know the scoring system. Most pools go by a point system, where every round is worth a certain number of points. Others go by the point total of the seed that wins. If you pick a No. 1 seed to beat a No 16 seed, you get one point. If you pick a No. 16 seed that beats a No. 1 seed, you get 16 points. Knowing the scoring system will make a difference in your selections. You'll be more apt to pick a few upsets knowing you'll get more points for it.

    Keep It Simple

    • Do not spread yourself too thin. Stick with one bracket. Filling out several sheets will only lead to frustration. It would be difficult to have pride in winning knowing you filled out several sheets. Having more than one bracket is distracting and confusing. Put all of your energy into a single bracket you can be proud of when you win.