It's March Madness Time Again!

As February rolls into March, another college basketball season comes closer to its thrilling annual conclusion. What will March Madness 2010 have in store for sports fan everywhere? It is far too soon to tell; but one thing we do know is that it will be packed with excitement.*

Here are a few things that you need to remember about college basketball’s annual three-week roller coaster ride also known as March Madness 2010.*

Remember how the whole “pod” system works. During the first two rounds of the tourney, eight teams play at each host site. The top four seeds in each region are placed at a site as close to the school’s location as possible, with the other three teams in the top-seeded teams’ bracket “pod” also playing at that site.*

The Final Four this year will be held in Indianapolis, where it has been held so many times before. Rather than in the RCA Dome, however, this will be the first Final Four to be played at Lucas Oil Stadium.*

When you go to fill out your brackets, remember that a 12 seed almost always beats a 5 seed. Why? There are usually a couple of 12 seeds that had worse records than expected because of injury or some other extenuating circumstance. If these teams are healthy come tournament time, they are probably better than their seed would indicate.*

Also remember that experience is very important, especially at the guard position. While a team like Kentucky will be able to advance to the Elite 8 or Final Four playing a bevy of freshman, they are the exception, not the rule. The teams that are built for tournament success have experienced players handling the ball in the backcourt. If you’re looking for good upset picks, take higher seeded teams who have favorable matchups and the savvy and experience at the guard position to take advantage of it.*

Have fun with your bracket and don’t stress out too much. No one, no matter how much they’ve studied college basketball, really has any idea how things will play out. That is part of what makes March Madness so exciting. George Mason can make the Final Four one year, and then the next year all four #1 seeds make it to the final weekend.*

So, in conclusion, March Madness 2010 is quickly approaching and it’s time to get ready. People who didn’t pay attention to college basketball one bit during the regular season will be talking about zone defenses, last second 3’s, and the importance of free throw shooting once their office pool brackets depend on it.*

Are you ready?