NCAA March Madness: 10 Tips for Your Bracket Picks

March Madness has finally arrived. After more than four months of college basketball games, it’s time to finally print out the brackets and predict a champion.

But who has had the time to watch and research all 68 teams--up from 65--in this year’s field? So here are 10 tips to filling out your bracket and hoping you take home the title of office champion.

1. Choose a Cinderella squad: The winners of office pools not only pick the right champion, but correctly identify the Cinderella team. While no one can say for sure which team is going to make the deep run, we all know it’s going to happen. No. 11 seed George Mason advanced to be in the Final Four in 2006. Make sure a double-digit seed is in your Sweet 16.

2. Pick your spots: Upsets are what make the NCAA tournament fun, but find the right matchups before predicting an outcome too outrageous. A No. 16 seed has never beaten a No. 1 seed, and a No. 2 seed has only lost in the first round on four occasions. These should be the easiest eight games to pick. Go with the chalk.

3. Location, location, location: Every game is played at a neutral site, but that doesn’t prevent teams from still having the proverbial home-court advantage. See if teams are playing close to home. North Carolina and Duke have the upper hand because their first- and second-round games are in Charlotte, NC.

4. What’s in a name: One of the greatest things about the bracket is seeing the schools we don’t know. Wofford? Hampton? Not many people can name their mascot, let alone their starting lineup. But don’t count those teams out. George Mason, whose mascot is the Patriot, comes to mind again.

5. Throw out the seeds: Despite the second tip in this list, seeds are a fool’s way of picking games. All four No. 1 teams have gotten to the Final Four on one occasion--Kansas, Memphis, North Carolina and UCLA did so in 2008. Plus, who wants to only root for Goliaths?

6. By the numbers: If you really insist on doing some research before Thursday, consider picking teams by scoring margin. Teams that blow out their opponents consistently in the regular season tend to fare better in the tournament.

7. Don’t pick Duke: Besides the fact that nobody likes Duke (sorry Jon Scheyer fans in Northbrook), it’s very difficult to repeat as the champion. One of seven teams to accomplish that feat since the tournament started in 1939 is the Blue Devils, but that was almost 20 years ago.

8. Coaches are the “X-factor:” While athletes get the credit for making the plays, coaching often is the difference within a game. This is especially true when teams have only two days to prepare for an unfamiliar matchup. Ride the coattails of big-name coaches that have been there before. Michigan State’s Tom Izzo is among the best at getting the most out of his team.

9. Follow the stars: Big-name players have the ability to carry a team far into the postseason. Shooters like Connecticut’s Kemba Walker and BYU’s Jimmer Fredette are capable of scoring 40 points on any night. Opposing defenses will key on them, but it’s nothing they haven’t seen during the regular season.

10. Go with that gut feeling: In the end, nobody really knows how things are going to shake out. Fill out a bracket and don’t second-guess your decisions. It’s called March Madness for a reason!

So where in Glendora can you watch this year's tournament? You can watch the NCAA Tournament in one of Glendora's own bars, such as Clubhouse 66 or , or watch it in the comfort of of your home.

In celebration of , Glendora boys in 6th to 12th grade can spend the night Jan. 19 from 8:30 p.m. to 7 a.m. at the , 241 W Dawson Ave. Activities throughout the night will center on the March Madness with the NCAA Tournament playing on television screens.

The program is $15 and parents can register their boys at the center. Call (626) 914-2357 for more information.