Remember your NCAA Tournament bracket? The one you were so proud of a little over two weeks ago. How’s it looking now?
The Final Four takes place this weekend and odds are your bracket has been in the trash for the better part of a week.
I gave tips on how to win your bracket pool prior to the start of the tournament, so in full disclosure it’s time to go back and see just how close my advice came to being good.
1. Chalk is Good
This was good advice. Three No. 1 seeds reached the Final Four (Kentucky, Wisconsin, Duke). Villanova did go out in the Round of 32, but advancing the top seeds through the tournament should have prolonged your chances in your pool.
2. Pick a 12 over a 5
There were four 12 vs. 5 games in the tournament and the No. 5 team won each time for the first year since 2007 and for only the fourth time since 1985. I was all in on Stephen F. Austin to make a run to the Sweet 16 and they had a 57-50 opening round loss to Utah. Stand by that this is usually good advice – just not this year.
3. Pick a 10 over a 7
There was one 10 over 7 upset, just not the one I predicted. Ohio State beat Virginia Commonwealth 75-72. I must admit, I was dead wrong about Michigan State. The team I thought would lose their first game to Georgia has made it all the way to the Final Four as a No. 7 seed. Next year’s advice will be to never underestimate Spartan coach Tom Izzo in March.
4. Don’t Knock the First Four
I claim a partial victory on this. I was big on the Dayton Flyers to make a run in the tourney. After beating Boise State in the First Four, they beat Providence in the Round of 64 before blowing a second-half lead against Oklahoma in the Round of 32. The Flyers did make a mini-run, just not quite as far as I thought.
5. Belmont Will Eventually Win a Game
Hello. This was almost the year. The Bruins were as close as 62-60 with 4:37 remaining before Virginia pulled away for a 79-67 win. Craig Bradshaw had a monster of a game, scoring 25 points, collecting nine rebounds, and making five 3-pointers against one of the best defensive teams in the country. If you picked Belmont in your bracket, you should have been doing some heavy duty bragging for a few hours that Friday afternoon.
Looking back, my advice wasn’t that far off. Aside from four minutes of the Belmont game, Dayton blowing a nine-point second-half lead, underrating Michigan State, and the oddity that no 12 beat a 5, my advice was on point.
Come let me know what you think of my advice during the Final Four. I’ll be at Wild Wing Cafe and will accept a cold drink and dozen mild wings as a thank you.
