We’ve spent all week covering Bracketology. I thought you’d like to see how my own bracket played out using my Stiletto Sports Offical Guide to Team Selection aka “the picks” method. First, I did a lot of brackets and I did change them up quite a bit. It was funny how quick I was able to do my brackets this year. There was no hemming and deliberation or franctic erasing. I did so much research for the Bracketology series and it was all so fresh in my mind, that I just picked off instinct really quickly. Kinda took some of the fun out of it!
I have been waiting for months for this. I thought it would be really fun to see how I do and see if my methods really are just as good as anyone else’s. I firmly believe you don’t have to be an expert to pick the teams. You can just have fun! Here is my logic behind my decisions.
How My Own Bracket Played out
Elite 8:
- Louisville v. Kansas
- UConn v. Memphis
- FSU v. Duke
- UNC v. Syracuse
Final Four
- Louisville vs. Memphis
- Duke vs. UNC or Syracuse (depending on my mood. Part really wants the UNC-Duke match-up but the other half wants ‘Cuse to make it!)
Championship:
- Louisville vs. Duke
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My Round 1 Picks
Midwest:
#1 Louisville vs. #16 Morehead
I so wanted to pick Morehead just because it’s so fun to say to someone, “who doesn’t want Morehead?” But went with Louisville because they are #1 seed in tourney, I love Rick Pitino and my boy Derek from Good Sports is from Kentucky
#2 Michigan State v. #15 Robert Morris
Really wanted to pick Robert Morris just so I could call it Bob but had to go Mich State. I mean the coach’s name is Tom Izzo (fo’ shizzo) which is almost as funny as Tony Dungy! But more important, my boy Erik is a big Mich State fan and we are pushing for a Mich State-KU match-up
#3 Kansas vs. #14 N. Dakota State
I’m all for Cinderella stories (duh) and if ND State fell in any other region I’d probably pick them for the upset, but not against my Jayhawks! Rock Chalk boys!
#4 Wake Forest #13 Cleveland State
I’m actually breaking my rules to go with the Demon Deacons. I’ve never been a fan of theirs because of the old school rivalry between WF and UMass. I was a huge UMass/Marcus Camby fan and pretty much hated Tim Duncan. Still not really over it but I’m going to try.
#5 Utah vs. #12 Arizona
Arizona baby! First off, I am not going to pick a team whose nickname is the “Utes.” I even know what the hall a Ute is now but still think it sounds weird. Second, I think I’m in love with anything in or about Arizona. I fell hard and fast during NFL season. Couldn’t get enough of Kurt Warner and Fitzy and was a bit crushed when they didn’t win the Super Bowl. I feel picking the Wildcats in the tourney, I’m still repping for my Cardinals. Come on, you can’t beat that kind of logic!
#6 West Virginia v. #11 Dayton
If I can say I’m in love with everything Arizona I can safely say I hate everything Ohio. Since I really didn’t care about this match-up I went with my “I Hate Ohio” theory and picked West Virginia.
#7 Boston College v. #10 USC
This one was tough for me because I have a lot of friends in Boston—including two of my fave people in the world Mark and Gina. My family is all predisposed to love everything in Boston even though we have always lived in New York (yeah, they love us there). That said, my man hottie QB for the Arizona Cardinals Matt Leinart was a USC boy annnnnd…….Salvatore Ferragamo studied there too! I think Gina and Mark would both totally understand the need to pick the school that created one of the most famous shoe designers in the world!
#8 Ohio State v. #9 Siena
See “I Hate Ohio” from the West Virigina/Dayton match-up. Also, I’m from Albany, NY–about five minutes from Siena and know lots of people that went to school there.
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East
#1 Pitts v. #16 ETSU
Once again, really wish ETSU wasn’t the #16 seed because I would like to pick them. But common sense and logic made me not totally destroy my bracket by predicting that upset
#2 Duke v. #15 Binghamton
Okay I may be from upstate NY but my love for it only carries so far. Gotta go with Duke. Mark and Gina would never speak to me again if I didn’t (and I already feel bad for not picking the Boston team in honor of them)
#3 Villanova v. #14 America
Nova baby! Can’t disrepect my boy Shelly B’s team! And I will confess my other silly reason….back in the day they had a player named Kerry Kittles and that name always made me giggle and think of Skittles. Yes, I’m serious. Whatever, at least it made me remember the team!
#4 Xavier v. #13 Portland State
Hmm….now re-visiting my East Region Bracketology I’m thinking I didn’t take enough time to analyze my picks. I may have to go do another bracket that picks P.State to advance so I can give props to Holly Madison. Hmmm…
#5 FSU v. #12 Wisconsin
No contest, FSU all the way! I live in Florida now and have actually been to the FSU campus…. on the night I met and had pictures taken with Chris Daughtry. Still considered one of the greatest moments of my life. I may heart FSU.
#6 UCLA v. #11 VCU
I don’t know, UCLA just seems so much cooler. I think I’ve always had a bit of a star-struck love affair with them.
#7 Texas v. #10 Minnesota
Eh, I did a lot of brackets. Sometimes I went with Texas, sometimes Minnesota. It’s the one match-up I really had no feelings about either way.
#8 Oklahoma State v. #9 Tennessee
I correct myself, this one too I didn’t have a lot of feelings on so sometimes I picked one, sometimes the other. I did have this thing for this tourney where I thought it would eb fun if Michigan, Michigan State, Arizona, Arizona State, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State all advanced to next round. But then I realized I didn’t feel the same way about Utah and Utah State so I didn’t really stick to that methodology.
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West
#1 UConn v. #16 Chattanooga
Like I would pick a team called the Mocs! It still makes me think of imitation Crocs and I Hate Crocs more than I hate the state of Ohio. And I heart UConn anyway.
#2 Memphis v. #15 CSU Northridge
Memphis. Without a question. I am picking them to go really far. I am a HUGE John Calipari fan and have been ever since his UMass coaching days. I do not like cheering against him—it was very tough last year with Kansas and Calipari—er, Memphis—in the Final.
#3 Missouri v. #14 Cornell
I have no foundation for picking Mizzou. I just did.
#4 Washington v. #13 Mississippi State
Again, sometimes I picked Wash, sometimes Miss State.
#5 Purdue v. #12 Northern Iowa
Again, going against myself here because I’ve never been a big Purdue lover. Very anti-Boilermaker. And the coolest person I know, Dan, is from Iowa. But I still felt compelled to go Purdue.
#6 Marquette v. #11 Utah State
Shoot. I went with Marquette in almost every bracket I did and I just remembered that Utah State has it’s own ice cream brand and I think that is so cool. But if I pick Utah State, then I should also pick Utah to complete my whole Michigan, Michigan State, Arizona, Arizona State, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State advancing theory. Hmmm…..this could mess up my whole logic.
#7 California v. #10 Maryland
This is an interesting 7/10 match-up that I thought could go either way. I did pick Maryland on occassion because I wanted to root for the turtles.
#8 BYU v. #9 Texas A&M
Howdy partners, gotta go A&M on this one!
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South
#1 UNC v. #16 Radford
Duh, UNC.
#2 Oklahoma v. #15 Morgan State
Definitely feeling Oklahoma ever since the football BCS. Sam Bradford was such a hottie! And I like the Griffin Brothers
#3 Syracuse #14 Stephen F. Austin
Go ‘Cuse!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yeah that’s all I’m saying.
#4 Gonzaga #13 Akron
Once again, I hate Ohio! And I love the name Gonzaga! They have been fighting their way into the tourney for years and I love that they are a #4 seed this year. I really want them to go far.
#5 Illinois v. #12 Western Kentucky
Only if I can keep calling them the Fighting Ill-inney all tourney…
#6 Arizona State v. #11 Temple
Like I said, I’m totally loving everything in and around Arizona right now, even if fans of either team would freak if they knew I was rooting for both AU and ASU. They hate each other. I also really can’t stand Temple. Goes back to the UMass thing….they do not play well with each other.
#7 Clemson v. #10 Michigan
Been somewhat of a Mich fan since the Fab 5 days and would like to see the boys have another shot!
#8 LSU #9 Butler
No feelings whatsoever on this one either. Depended on my mood.
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Crossing my fingers! We’ll see what happens! Stay tuned for my updates and my Round 2 picks!
About the author: Jennifer Taglione is the owner of this fabulous website Stiletto Sports. Despite writing well over 500 posts, she still maintains that she is not a sports writer! She is however a huge fan of Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald, Mark Sanchez, the Celtics, and totally kicks butt on March Madness brackets! Connect with her by following her on Twitter @StilettoSportsJ and subscribing to her weekly newsletter. For more info check out the About the Editor page!
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