March Madness NCAA Tournament Holds Many Surprises

I don’t remember an NCAA tournament that appears as wide open as this one.

I go back..back…back. As far back as the mid 50’s and it seems it was always obvious who made up the cream of the crop.  Not this year.

I know it’ll be incredibly tough for those filling out brackets to get it right or close to that unless they go out on limbs and throw darts that land in the right places. Maybe it’s because there was so much flux at the top of the weekly rankings all season.

Here’s what I observe. Those who sense the “hot” teams coming into the tournament and ride their fortunes may be deeply disappointed. Throw out last week and don’t look back. There’s no question a “hot” team will win the national championship. But it will only start now!  And determining which teams are successful will depend a great deal on who they face as the dance progresses. The matchup they contend with, and the ability to make the big play at the right time. In other words, do they make shots or not. A team  on paper that faced a daunting opponent may get a break when that foe is upset before the next round.

Having said all that, my opinion is there will be many surprises, but that most of the top seeds 1-4 will win because they are still the better teams. As exciting as March Madness is, usually when the dust clears, numbers 1 and 2 are right there ready to battle in the Final Four.

So if you pick against the likes of North Carolina, Kentucky, Virginia and Michigan State etc. you may be making a mistake.

Let the Madness begin!

Dick Stockton’s consulting service – empower your team – be inspired.