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2017 NCAA March Madness: Insights by the letter

By Jeff Glauser

Mar 10, 2017; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Jayson Tatum (0) drives up to the net over North Carolina Tar Heels guard Joel Berry II (2) during the first half during the ACC Conference Tournament at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 10, 2017; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Jayson Tatum (0) drives up to the net over North Carolina Tar Heels guard Joel Berry II (2) during the first half during the ACC Conference Tournament at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports /
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The NCAA men’s basketball tournament brackets have been officially announced, which inevitably means countless man hours lost to research ad nauseum.

For those interested in increasing their odds of winning the office pool, but also not getting fired for spending too much time in the process, Kevin Stott at SportsBookReview has put out a comprehensive analysis for amateur and professional gamblers alike, listed in alphabetical order.

Here are some highlights:

  • California has five schools in the NCAA Tournament in UCLA, Southern California, St. Mary’s, UC Davis and San Diego State.
  • Northwestern (23-11 SU, 19-12 ATS) has made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since school started playing basketball a mere 103 years ago.
  • The fairer sex once again looks to have far less intrigue: The NCAA Women’s Division I Tournament also commences later this week and the University of Connecticut (32-0) and head coach Geno Auriemma have won a record 107 straight games heading into the tourney, including two titles during that run. Opening odds for the Huskies start at -550.
  • The Duke Blue Devils remain on the annual short list of favorites to win the tournament, and much of the credit for their latest late-season run can be attributed to Jayson Tatum, who may be the best player in college basketball right now.
  • Kentucky has the most bids (56) ever to the tournament. Kansas and North Carolina will both be making their 28th straight appearance. All three schools are also favorites to add to their storied legacies.
  • Maine remains the only qualifying state to not send a team to the tournament (Alaska doesn’t have any D-1 schools).
  • Underdogs have won the championship game outright for the past three years.

The First Four matchups take place on Tuesday in Dayton, OH. Phoenix will then host this year’s Final Four, with the semifinal games occurring on April 1 and the championship on April 3.

Next: NCAA Tournament 2017: Which No. 1 seed reaches Final Four?

The Villanova Wildcats—returning as a No. 1 seed again—cut the nets last season over North Carolina in one of the most dramatic finishes in sports history.

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