Joel Huerto is managing editor of One Man Fastbreak.net and a sports consultant with Opposing Views.com. He has been a member of the sports media for almost 20 years, which included nine years as a news editor at the Los Angeles Times. He will cover a variety of topics, from coach and player profiles to hot-button issues. Joel is also known as "maniLA ice" for his cool demeanor in the friendly confines of the YMCA hardwood. He loves to shoot the "tear drop" and prefers to play zone to hide his deficiencies on defense.
Cornell and Radford are in. East Tennessee State is back after a five-year hiatus. Morehead State's basketball student body has not felt this good since 1984. And Northern Iowa has something to be proud of besides Kurt Warner.
March Madness is officially underway.
Five teams recently received their NCAA tournament tickets with more automatic
bids up for grabs this week. The tournament is just a couple of weeks away from tipping off and it is time to dust off the college basketball vernaculars. Let's start referring to the NCAA men's tournament as the "Big Dance," begin calling low-seeded teams "sleepers" and explain to your colleagues why someone's "bubble" is about to burst on Selection Sunday.
It is the time of year when "RPI" gets Googled more than Kim Kardashian or Miley Syrus.
It is the time of the year when we refer to the round of 16 as the "Sweet 16," the quarterfinals as the "Elite 8" and the national semifinals as the "Final Four." There will come a time when someone will figure out a slick name for the first two rounds and the national championship game could be renamed the Verizon National Championship.
It is also the time of the year when we find out that Joe The Copyboy is a graduate of Radford University, and has the Highlanders advancing all the way to the Elite Eight. This type of nonsensical pick is called a "bracket buster."
When it's time to fill out our empty tournament brackets, whether it's done on paper or online, everyone considers themselves an expert and has strong opinions on which teams will get bounced in the opening round and which teams will make it to the Final Four. Only problem is, most of the wannabee experts — like myself — throw logic out the window and fall in love with numbers, such as a ninth-seeded team is better than an eighth-seeded team; a No. 11, No. 12 or a No. 13 always pulls of an upset or two; and this is the year a No. 16 beats a No. 1 (that last one is wishful thinking).
Whatever happens in the early rounds, the cream always rises to the top, and most smart brackets will have at least two No. 1 teams in the Final Four. Upsets are reserved in the early rounds. Recent history shows that the higher-seeded teams have dominated the later rounds and are usually the ones left standing. Since 1985 when the field was expanded to 64 teams, Kansas (1988) and Villanova (1985) are the only teams seeded lower than fifth that went on to win the title.
The great Bill Parcells once said, "You are what you are." Meaning, a 27-win team with a high RPI rating must be good and an 18-12 team with a low RPI rating must be bad. It's not fuzzy math.
So, if you're serious about winning The March to Madness pool on Facebook, or winning any of your five office pools you're about to enter, then be smart with your choices and do not pick a team just because Joe Lunardi or Doug Gottlieb told you so. Do your homework and say a little prayer before you turn in your picks. If that doesn't work, then ask a cousin to inject you with some sage advice.
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