Ever wish that more things worked like college brackets? That you could seed everything that way? Top 64 pre-game foods. Top 64 college players. Well, now you can do just that with your friends, with the Allstate BFF Brackets, which takes your 64 top Facebook friends (an algorithm seeds them based on interaction) and seeds them in four regions, exactly like the real tourney. Once the tourney starts, your friends advance with the corresponding seeds – till one is left standing. Check it out at http://apps.facebook.com/bffbrackets/
It's time.
Is it going to be St. Peters? UAB? Gonzaga? Belmont?
Someone is going to make an improbable run to the Sweet 16 or Elite Eight, but what makes a good Cinderella pick in your bracket?
If you've got an office pool, here's our picks for the top mid-majors who will make a big splash in the tournament this year.
First off, don't pick any 16 seeds, for any N3wBz out there. They don't win. Done, that's four teams who you don't have worry about. Here's five of the 64 to give a look when considering any upset picks to win some $crilla in your pool.
1.) Richmond - It's a 12 over 5 seed pick, which is fairly common among the upsets. Vanderbilt did not look great in the SEC tourney, and Richmond won the Atlantic-10 championship game over a usually solid Dayton team. The Spiders could also surprise Louisville and reach the Sweet 16. Shocking? Sure, it's March. Get crazy. Spiders. Yes, they'd have to beat Kansas to make the Elite 8, so flip a coin on that one.
2.) Marquette - The Golden Eagles are a solid team. They're an 11-seed playing a Xavier team who has looked to have peaked already and was beaten by rival Dayton in the A-10 tourney. They'll have a tough game against Syracuse most likely in the second round, but the Orange have dropped unusual games this year like Seton Hall (who won like 8 games total). An upset could be brewing to the Sweet 16 for Marquette as well, and it could extend further as the bottom half of the east has UNC (who recently had the wood laid to them by Duke in the ACC championship) and a bunch of other "eh...they made it?" teams. Marquette...Elite 8...make it happen.
3.) Utah State - Another 12/5 upset. Kansas State has swung wildly up and down this year. The Aggies have been close to upsets in the past, and this year might be the year of the Mormons (BYU). It's not likely they'll be able to upend Wisconsin who should take care of Belmont.
4.) Missouri - Cincinnati is in the Big East, so they're in the tournament. Eleven teams out of that behemoth conference made it, so I doubt their ability to live up to their 6-seed over a quality Mizzou squad. They'll run into the buzzsaw of Kemba Walker in the second round and not make it to the Sweet Sixteen, but it's a good pick.
5.) Michigan State - What? Tom Izzo's Spartans are a 10-seed and amazing, that's not an upset, you are saying. Yeah, I get that, it's not a big upset 10 over 7, but they'll also beat Florida and then give BYU a run in the Sweet 16. Izzo's been to approximately 45 NCAA tournaments, so his team is bound to pull off at least one big win.
It's finally March Madness. The only thing we have to avoid now, Ole Miss fans, is the video clip of that guy (you know who) and that dang shot. Still hurts.