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spt_BKC_bracket_tips09.sPubDate = "3/19/2009 2:35:38 PM GMT";
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spt_BKC_bracket_tips09.appHeader = "10 TIPS | NBCSports.com's guide to winning your tournament pool";
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spt_BKC_bracket_tips09[i++] = new Array("","","DeJuan Blair and Pittsburgh will be one of the favorites to win the NCAA tournament.","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/090115-PittsburghLouisville-vmed-640p.vmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "left", "Jim Mcisaac", "Getty Images file", "283", "198", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spt_BKC_bracket_tips09[i-1].body = "Anyone can fill out an NCAA Tournament bracket. Picking teams to win by colors, mascots, personal biases, etc. is easy. But when it comes to actually predicting the Big Dance winners, well, that's another story.
That's where we come in.
Even if you know little about hoops and think a double dribble can be corrected with a bib, feel that dunking is easier if you break the donut in half, and believe that Michael Jordan is the king of Jordan, here are 10 easy tips for filling out your March Madness manifest.";
spt_BKC_bracket_tips09[i++] = new Array("","Star power","Ty Lawson is part of a loaded North Carolina roster.","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/apmegasports/200902211544566796557-pf.vmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "left", "Rob Carr", "AP", "298", "179", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spt_BKC_bracket_tips09[i-1].body = "
Teamwork is great, but talent is better. Just ask the tournament winner.
Since 1979, every NCAA champion but one (Maryland in 2002) has had at least one McDonald's All-American. That includes '06 and '07 champ Florida (Corey Brewer), to say nothing of loaded squads like '08 Kansas, '05 UNC and '04 UConn.
Among the top teams this year that don't: Pitt, Clemson and Purdue.
By contrast, North Carolina has nine of 'em. So think McDonald's. That will help supersize your bracket.";
spt_BKC_bracket_tips09[i++] = new Array("","Upset specials","James Keefe and UCLA had no trouble with 16 seed Mississippi Valley State last year.","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/NBCSports/Sections/Personal/Williams%2C%20Ed/Photos/UCLA/UCLA10.vmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "left", "Lisa Blumenfeld", "Getty Images", "286", "198", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spt_BKC_bracket_tips09[i-1].body = "
The NCAA Tournament is notoriously unpredictable, yet most people fill out their brackets as if they're buying insurance, careful about every little detail.
That might not fit your personality. You might be the adventurous type who likes hang-gliding, blind dates and eating sushi from a can. In that case, take some chances.
Keep in mind that no No. 16 seed has beaten a No. 1. Here are the closest calls.
Fairleigh Dickinson lost to Michigan in 1985 (4 points, 59–55)
Princeton lost to Georgetown in 1989 (1 point, 50–49)
East Tennessee State lost to Oklahoma in 1989 (1 point, 72–71)
Murray State lost to Michigan State in 1990 (4 points, 75–71 in OT)
Western Carolina lost to Purdue in 1996 (2 points, 73–71)
Only four No. 15 seeds have ever defeated No. 2 seeds:
Richmond over Syracuse 73–69 in 1991
Santa Clara over Arizona 64–61 in 1993
Coppin State over South Carolina 78–65 in 1997
Hampton over Iowa State 58–57 in 2001
Everyone wants to be the person to predict the first-ever upset of a No. 1 seed, but it’s not worth it. And don’t waste your time with the No. 15 either. You’re risking any chance of winning your pool because that No. 1 or No. 2 that you picked to lose can easily win a few or more rounds, and you’ll be the only one not receiving points for those wins.";
spt_BKC_bracket_tips09[i++] = new Array("","Twelve is a '10'","Ty Rogers and Western Kentucky stunned No. 5 Drake last season.","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/ArtAndPhoto-Fronts/SPORTS/080321/g-spt-080321-wku-1p.vmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "John Raoux", "AP", "259", "198", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spt_BKC_bracket_tips09[i-1].body = "
That’s a \"10\" as in the very pinnacle of beauty and seduction. Most times.
Since 1989, a No. 12 seed has beaten a No. 5 in the opening round in every year but two.
Since 1999, 12 seeds have won a game 17 times, and seven of them have advanced to the Sweet Sixteen. Two teams -- Western Kentucky and Villanova -- did it last season. The trick, of course, is deciding which No. 12 of the four to pick.
For that, flip the equation: Look at the four No. 5s and determine which one is most likely to choke. Usually it will be a team from the Big East or ACC that did the most whining about not being seeded higher.";
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spt_BKC_bracket_tips09[i-1].body = "
It is tempting to predict a team to win it all based on the fact that it won its conference tournament. Stick with a hot team, right?
Well, not exactly.
Seven of the last 10 NCAA champs won their conference tournament, while seven of the last 10 also won the regular-season crown. But in that time, 10 more regular-season champs reached the Final Four and 22 more in the regional finals.
The lesson? The overall body of work is a much better indicator of success. ";
spt_BKC_bracket_tips09[i++] = new Array("","Balk at the chalk","Terrence Williams helped Louisville to the No. 1 overall seed.","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/NBCSports/Sections/College%20basketball/Junior%27s%20Junk/Class%20of%202009/Williams_Terrence.vmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "Andy Lyons", "Getty Images", "198", "198", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spt_BKC_bracket_tips09[i-1].body = "
In gambling parlance, the \"chalk\" refers to the favorite in any competition. There will be four No. 1 seeds, one from each region. But there is only one top-ranked team in the land. Right now it’s Louisville. Yet only three teams in the past 24 years have finished the regular season ranked No. 1 and went on to win the championship.
UConn was the latest to do so in 2004.
So, if you're the type who likes to play it safe -- you always drive in the slow lane, put your money in a savings account earning 1 percent interest, etc. -- then choose the other three No. 1 seeds to gain your Final Four and pick the Cards to bow out in the second or third round.
Initially, you will endure verbal abuse and ridicule. However, that unpleasantness will quickly be replaced by the pure joy of frolicking naked through piles of money taken from clueless suckers. Usually.";
spt_BKC_bracket_tips09[i++] = new Array("","Delete the geeks","Hasheem Thabeet and UConn will be a popular pick to win it all.","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/NBCSports/Interactives%20and%20Slideshows/College%20Hoops/ss_090210_Thabeet/090224_Thabeet4.vmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "Bill Kostroun", "AP", "290", "198", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spt_BKC_bracket_tips09[i-1].body = "
About this time of year, you will start to see \"experts\" that you've never heard of before popping up on television. They will speak eloquently and will dress nattily, creating the impression that they are professionals and know what they're talking about when they make their tournament predictions.
You will be tempted to follow their advice. Don't.
Ignore these people at all costs. They don’t know any more than the guy who works the Slurpee machine at your neighborhood 7-Eleven. They still live in their parents' house, and the NCAA tournament is their Dungeons & Dragons.
To paraphrase George Costanza: If everything they say is wrong, the opposite must be right. Go with the exact opposite of everything they suggest and you will at least finish in the top three in your pool.";
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spt_BKC_bracket_tips09[i-1].body = "
When you hear that a team has received an \"automatic\" bid to the NCAA Tournament, it sounds like you should be impressed.
Don't be. Listen to some of the schools that received automatic bids: Morehead State, American, Cleveland State and Radford.
They are to the NCAA Tournament what Internet universities are to academia. These schools have as much chance of advancing past the first round as Gene Keady has of being named Vidal Sassoon's man of the year.";
spt_BKC_bracket_tips09[i++] = new Array("","There can be only 1","Derrick Rose led No. 1 seed Memphis to the 2008 Final Four.","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/NBCSports/Sections/Personal/Vandermark%2C%20Brett/Final%20Four%20-%20Walters/080402_Rose_Derrick.vmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "Andy Lyons", "Getty Images", "276", "198", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spt_BKC_bracket_tips09[i-1].body = "
Since the NCAA started seeding teams (1979), only once have all four No. 1 seeds made it to the Final Four and that happened to be last year:
2008: Kansas, North Carolina, Memphis, UCLA
In fact, the championship game has matched two No. 1 seeds only six times:
1982: North Carolina defeated Georgetown
1993: North Carolina defeated Michigan
1999: Connecticut defeated Duke
2005: North Carolina defeated Illinois
2007: Florida defeated Ohio State
2008: Kansas defeated Memphis
But, at least one No. 1 seed has made the Final Four in every year except:
1980: Louisville (2), Iowa (5), Purdue (6), UCLA (8)
2006: UCLA (2), Florida (3), LSU (4), George Mason (11)
Analysis: The top-seeded teams generally go far, but they are far from locks to make it all the way. It’s smart to have them winning a few rounds, but once you get into that Elite 8 area, it’s time to disregard the seed and focus on the particular matchups. This year: The No. 2s (Mich. St., Memphis, Duke and Oklahoma) are basically as good as the No. 1s, and Memphis and Duke are playing as well as they have all season heading into the tourney.";
spt_BKC_bracket_tips09[i++] = new Array("","Getting sentimental","Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan could be a sentimental pick to win this season.","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/070112/070112_boRyan_vmed_1p.vmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "left", "Jonathan Daniel", "Getty Images", "298", "185", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spt_BKC_bracket_tips09[i-1].body = "
Ordinarily, when there's big money on the line, sentiment has no place in your predictions. But there are exceptions, and the NCAA Tournament is one.
For instance, North Carolina coach Roy Williams won his first national championship in 2005, and he is regarded as a class act everywhere outside the state of Kansas. The rallying cry of \"Win one for coach\" can sometimes provide a team with an extra burst of momentum.
Another case is Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan, who has more than 500 career wins, but has never led a team to a Final Four. ";
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Since the inception of the 64-team tournament in 1985, each seed pairing has played a total of 96 first-round games.
No. 1 seed - beaten the No. 16 seed all 96 times (100 percent)
No. 2 seed - beaten the No. 15 seed 92 times (96 percent)
No. 3 seed - beaten the No. 14 seed 81 times (84 percent)
No. 4 seed - beaten the No. 13 seed 79 times (82 percent)
No. 5 seed - beaten the No. 12 seed 65 times (67 percent)
No. 6 seed - beaten the No. 11 seed 66 times (69 percent)
No. 7 seed - beaten the No. 10 seed 60 times (62 percent)
No. 8 seed - beaten the No. 9 seed 44 times (46 percent)
There’s only one pure coin flip, and that’s the 8 vs. 9 game. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go with a hunch on an 11 seed, but the numbers don’t lie. There aren’t many people out there that know more about the game than the selection committee, so if you’re undecided on which to take ... go with the better seed. Don’t get cute. This year: Remember to look at the spreads for some of these games. Vegas generally knows more than anyone so since they have No. 12 Arizona slightly favored over No. 5 Utah... that should tell you something.";
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