Time to put up, and so here's my bracket. I used my five tips as a guideline and, in cases where I didn't follow them, something about the matchup that prompted me to go against the trend.

I picked against the chalk, Kentucky. I didn't do it because I don'think the Wildcats can win (or because they are Louisville's hated rival), but rather they'll be the popular pick and going them will pay off if they don't win it all.

There also are practical reasons to fade Kentucky. The Wildcats have been very lucky in close games going back to last year's NCAA tournament run. Stats guys will tell you that there's not much skill involved in winning tight contests and that no team should win (or lose) all such games. I'm thinking Kentucky's luck finally runs out against one of the other two teams in this tournament with a championship profile: Arizona and Villanova.

Good luck in your bracket. Go Cards.

About the Author

Keep Reading

The city of Atlanta gave Georgia State University the green light to start construction on a new baseball facility. (Courtesy of Georgia State University Athletics)

Credit: Georgia State University Athletics

Featured

Waymo autonomous vehicles operate across 65 square miles inside I-285 and have been involved in six incidents with Atlanta Public School buses since May. Waymo issued a recall because of their cars briefly stopping or slowing down before continuing forward while a bus was stopped and flashing its lights. (Courtesy of Atlanta Public Schools)

Credit: Courtesy of Atlanta Public Schools