Stay Away from the SEC! (Tips on bracket picks)

So, it's that time of the year again: when even the most conservative people gamble, sane persons act a little crazy and grown men cry. That's right- the wave of march madness is sweeping the nation. As we get ready to fill out our brackets, consider your picks before forking over your hard-earned cash. Here are some of my sports analysis tips (Please don't fault me if you lose money over this advice):

1. Stay away from the SEC. This conference is incredibly weak. It is unlikely that many (or any) SEC teams will it past the first round.

2. Don't pick Clemson. The Tigers have struggled all the way, falling early in the ACC tournament. Though they won big against Duke (74-47), they haven't had a big win since and have suffered some bad losses.

3. Look out for "Powerhouse" teams. These teams may seem like easy picks, as they are perennial powerhouses, but teams such as Wake Forest, Gonzaga and Syracuse have struggled late-season. It would be best not to take these teams past the sweet sixteen.

4. Allow for the upsets. It may seem obvious to give the win to the higher seeded team, but you have to understand that certain teams will turn it on during the tournament and other teams will falter, meaning the better team will not always win. Though there is never a "safe" upset pick, some of my favorite upset picks include: Temple over Arizonia St, Arizona over Utah and Butler over LSU.

5. Don't underestimate Memphis. For those who followed this young team, they have turned it on these last couple years. With the momentum from both last season and this year's success, look for the #2 seed in the west bracket to make a serious run in the tournament. I took this time to the Elite 8 before predicting they will fall to powerhouse UCONN.

6. Expect UCONN to be out for revenge. Anyone who watched this squad fall from the #1 post twice to the same team (Pittsburg, who before had never beaten a #1 seed) or witnessed the conference loss UCONN suffered after an epic 6 overtime battle with Syracuse must understand: UCONN is talented, and they're pissed. UCONN has the forwards to get the job done and they'll be looking for a way to redeem themselves during the dance. Expect to see the team in the title match-up

*So have some fun, fill out some brackets and enjoy the delightful madness that is college basketball in March.