Today, action in the annual Men’s DIV 1 basketball tournament, fondly known as “March Mania” kicks off with action starting in the West and South brackets at 12:20 EDT. Number 1 seed Connecticut (West Bracket) will be taking on #16 Chattanooga; while the number 1 seeded North Carolina Tarheels (South Bracket) will face #16 Radford. Even though the UConn Huskies are coming off a tough loss to Syracuse in a stunning 6 separate overtimes in one game, no doubt Coach Jim Calhoun has prepared his squad for tournament gameplay.
Interesting fact: In recent years, all #1 seeds have made it to the second round, making bets on these teams a sure win. A two team Connecticut/North Carolina parlay, or a 4 team Connecticut/North Carolina/Louisville/Pittsburgh are probably worthwhile. You may not get a huge payout, but money is money – especially in this economy.
Action for top seeds continues in the East and Midwest brackets tomorrow, where Louisville and Pittsburgh will bat cleanup for an impressive set of top seeds coming out of the Big East. After that, first round winners will have a brief respite before second round action begins, the precursor to the magic “Sweet Dieciseis”, where all the fabled drama, glory, and “madness” of the tournament kicks into high gear. Good Luck!