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How to fill out a tournament bracket

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Feb 15, 2022

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Thinking about playing ESPN's Tournament Challenge game but don't know where to start?

We completely understand. Getting up to speed on college basketball for the NCAA Tournament can be a difficult endeavor. After all, there are 351 schools that make up the 32 Division I conferences.

But don't worry. Even for the #TournamentChallenged, filling out your bracket doesn't have to be a daunting task. All you need are a few quick tips to get initiated into the time-honored tradition of "joining the madness" and have a chance to win the grand prize of $100,000!

Playing is simple

1. Go to Tournament Challenge; click "Create New Bracket"
2. Click "Edit your entry settings here." Select a name for your bracket; click "Save Settings.
3. (Optional) Create a group to play against your friends, family, coworkers or others; click "Create Group."
4. (Optional) Join a group to play against fans of your favorite school, ESPN TV show, etc.; click "Join Group."
5. Fill out your bracket -- Pick a winner for every game of each round, with those winners facing off in each subsequent round, until only one team remains. That's your champion. Don't forget the tiebreaker: predicting the final score of the championship game; click "Submit"

Autofill bracket options

• Chalk (all favorites): Take the higher seed (1, 2, etc.) in every matchup, automatically, and hope for no upsets!

• Random: It's like flipping a coin for each and every game! We'll randomly select a winner for you in each game.

• Smart Bracket (powered by BPI Simulation): Using ESPN's Basketball Power Index to break down the games, we'll generate a bracket for you.

Other bracket options

Help with making your picks

• Seeds are there for a reason: The brackets are not created by randomly picking teams out of a hat -- the best teams are 1-seeds and the worst are 16-seeds. The selection committee tries its best to balance the field by making sure the best teams don't have to face each other until the later stages of the tournament. The chances of all four 1-seeds making it to the Final Four are considerably better than the chances of four 11-seeds making it there. So, when in doubt, go with the chalk pick (the better-seeded team).

• Upsets do happen: In 2018, for the first time ever, a 16-seed defeated a 1-seed (UMBC over Virginia) -- and did so in blowout fashion, winning by 20 points. Additionally, an 11-seed (Loyola-Chicago) made it all the way to the Final Four. For whatever reason, traditionally, 12-seeds have far exceeded expectations against 5-seeds, which is why it is commonplace to see Tournament Challenge participants select at least one 12-seed to advance at least a couple of rounds.

• Unpredictability is par for the course: In 2019, 12-seeded Oregon and 13-seeded UC-Irvine both pulled off upsets and ended up squaring off for a chance to make the Sweet 16. However, apart from that game, only one other team outside of chalk (5-seeded Auburn) made it to the second week of play. The moral of the story: Don't be afraid to pick upsets, but don't pick too many. Although a Cinderella always seems to crash the ball, there aren't that many glass slippers to pass around.

• Traditional powers do tend to rise to the top: Villanova has won twice in the past five tournaments. Gonzaga advanced to the National Championship for the second time in the past four tourneys. Nobody should be surprised when perennial top-10 darlings make deep runs. They're called traditional powers for a reason.

• Don't get too caught up with a team's record: You're likely to see a few teams with 17-plus wins squaring off with teams that are barely over . 500. You're also likely to discover that the team with the worse record has a better seed. The reason for this is that not all teams play against the same level of competition. Good teams from smaller conferences (which are likely to get only a single team into the tournament) might load up on wins over lesser competition compared to middle-of-the-pack teams from power conferences (which will "get credit" for playing a tougher schedule). You can either trust the seeding process, which does get it right far more often than not, or take a look at BPI, which ranks all the teams while factoring in the vast imbalance in scheduling.

• The winner of these contests is often surprising: You can crunch all the numbers, analyze all the stats, memorize all the rosters and watch every single minute of ESPN's Champ Week to scout schools from less-publicized conferences; at the end of the day, once the ball is tipped, anything is possible. The person who gets his or her arm twisted into filling out a bracket and decides to pick only teams with animals as their mascots can just as easily end up with the trophy. That's what makes this such a fun ride. Get on board!

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How to organize a streetball tournament in your city?

Streetball is the same basketball, only the game takes place in one ring and with fewer players. Each team is represented by four people (three people on the court, one person is a substitute). Streetball is not just a hobby, but a sport that is included in the Olympic program.

Atmosphere

Streetball is characterized by the atmosphere of the street. Just imagine: there are a lot of people around, music is booming, you can hear the ball hitting the asphalt, someone is rapping and coming up with “sketches” of their new hip-hop song… This is the streetball atmosphere! You don’t even need to look for the whole site, just one ring is enough.

Therefore, if you are ready to do something interesting and memorable in your city, then this material is for you. I want to share my experience in organizing a mass event - a youth streetball tournament.

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For three seasons the tournament (winter 2015, summer 2015, summer 2016) brought together about 450 participants. These were schoolchildren and students of the city of Kemerovo and the Kemerovo region.

So where do you start?

Regulations

Preparation begins with drafting regulations. It should clearly and concisely define the goals, objectives, time, place, main description of the tournament. In the future, you can send it to various student and school associations in order to advertise the event and attract the maximum number of participants.

Finance

The topic is quite interesting for every event. In my case, the university provided financial support. But before the university will allocate funds, it is necessary to draw up an estimate of expenses.

What is needed for the estimate:

1. Name;
2. Dates and venue;
3. Expenses for a judge, presenter, sound engineer;
4. Expenses for prizes.

In my opinion, an event deserves a worthy assessment when it is possible to pay attention to each participant and present him with a memorable prize. But now I'm talking about an event with a small budget. Therefore, we will limit ourselves to prizes for first, second, third places, plus prizes for various mini-competitions (SlamDank - the player jumps over the ring and puts the ball in the basket, three-point shot, "Best Player" among women's and men's teams). Don't forget about sponsors!

Team

Like-minded people are definitely needed! Five - seven people are enough for your cool tournament! When the "Dream team" is assembled, make a plan, share the functionality. NEVER think that you can do everything yourself! It is better to let a person make a little mistake or do it wrong. You can fix it, and next time it will be great! This is more effective than going out of your way and doing everything yourself. Trust people!

Preparation

Set a deadline. This is very important in any event! Your work will be more productive when there are clear boundaries. If we talk about the timing, then you can start preparing two or three months in advance. What needs to be done during this time?

1. Prepare a sponsorship offer, find sponsors, partners, info-partners. The biggest and most difficult stage is the preparation stage. You must remember to offer offset terms. If you ask for something, you should give something in return: placing a logo on the poster, placing their banner on the court on the day of the tournament, telling about them in the tournament group, and much more.
2. Create a poster design. It is very cool if you have found a designer who understands and knows his business! Success depends on the atmosphere of the poster!
3. Start advertising (creating a group, sending to VK, Instagram text with a poster).
4. Start working with members (group invitation, private messages to target members).
5. An important point is the organization of the show program. That is, you need to find the IDEAL presenter, sound engineer, photographer, videographer, judge, secretary. The mood, one might say, the outcome of the entire tournament depends on these people. Be sure not to forget about the equipment! Streetball without music will not work.
6. Be sure to have a health worker present. In extreme cases, make a first aid kit. (this is a requirement of the law and just common sense)
7. In summer, do not forget about the awning, under which there will be a registration desk and a secretary, a net for rings, warm-up balls.
8. Think about the format of the tournament and discuss it with the main judge. First, form a table that will determine the order of meetings of the participating teams. Then carry out a draw, according to the results of which the teams are entered into the table according to the number received.

Then we start the tournament itself. We have knockout games: if a team loses one game, it leaves the standings.

WINTER & SUMMER. When is the best time to host a tournament?

I believe that any time has its pros and cons. Of course, in the summer there are more points to take note of.

• Set up an awning for the secretaries and organizers to work comfortably.
• Install the nets on the rings. Often on the grounds where streetball is played in the summer, there are no nets on the rings. This also needs to be taken care of.
• Think in advance on what and how to deliver equipment, tables, chairs, and conduct power supply.

In summer, the advantage is that people are outdoors (many people are more comfortable doing active sports when they are outdoors). But, the downside is that sometimes it is very hot, since the event usually starts from 9-16 hours and it is difficult to play and stay in the scorching sun for most of the day. In this case, try to find partners or sponsors who can provide participants with water.

In winter, the situation is simpler: the gym already has nets on the rings, an awning is not needed, tables, chairs and power supply are nearby.

These recommendations are based on my own experience in organizing. And to use them or leave it in the box read - everyone's choice! Good luck!

P.S. If you have any questions or would like to supplement this article, then we ask you not to be silent, but to use the comment form below)

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In the United States, playoffs, tournaments, and title games often go beyond a simple sporting event and form a cult following around them.

Since the Super Bowl, the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, or "March Madness" or "The Big Dance", is the most anticipated sporting event of the year. Of course, other sports (baseball) and leagues (NBA) can argue with this opinion, but it is shared by many, and in this article I argue this position.

The ABC of Madness

I'll start with the ABC of Madness. I think it makes sense to immediately deal with the terminology in order to create equal conditions for all readers. If you are following this tournament for the first time or have not really figured out how the tournament works yet, this article and especially this section is especially for you. If you know everything and are interested in the details of this year's tournament, feel free to skip this section and go to the part of the text that interests you.

Let's start!

The NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament is a tournament for the best men's college basketball teams in Division I. There are similar tournaments for the second and third divisions and women's college basketball.

"March Madness" is the tournament's most famous nickname, which refers to the huge number of games that were played over two weeks, a bunch of upsets and the sincere emotions of the players for whom this tournament is the best chance to show themselves and continue their careers, while for others this is the last chance to play their favorite game before the start of “adulthood”.

The Big Dance is another well-known nickname for the tournament.

Upset is a phenomenon that occurs in any competition, most often in sports or politics. Upset is the outcome of the competition when the underdog (outsider) wins the fight against the favorite.

"Underdog" (eng. "Underdog") - an outsider.

"Bracket" - the approved schedule of tournament games. The grid does not change after each round, there are no further draws or “re-seeding” of teams.

"Regionals" - the general tournament can be divided into regional tournaments that are played in different regions of the United States: East, West, South and Midwest.

"Seeding" - rating of teams in the tournament. Seeding takes place in such a way that the favorites do not run into each other at the beginning of the tournament. Each team gets into one of 16 pots (1 best, 16 worst).

"Bracketology" is the "science" of correctly predicting the results of a tournament when the bracket is filled.

"Bracket buster" is a big upset that destroys the grid of most fans.

"Cinderella" (eng. "Cinderella") - an underdog who gets to the quarterfinals or beyond. Every tournament usually has at least one.

"Selection Sunday" - a special commission announces 68 teams that will enter the bracket. Eight of them will play the preliminary games ("First Four"), and the four winners will advance to the main tournament, which includes 64 teams. The first four is the official start of the tournament. Matches are played on Wednesday, the day before the start of the main part of the tournament.

“Selection Committee” is the name of a special commission that selects 68 teams that will enter the draw.

"Automatic bid" - there are 32 conferences in the first division of college basketball, each of the winners of the conference tournament is provided with an automatic invitation to the main tournament.

"At-large bid" - 36 teams that are not champions of their conferences and receive a personal invitation from the tournament's election committee to play in it. These are the top 36 teams, in addition to those who received an automatic invitation.

"Bubble teams" are teams that are on the verge of entering the tournament and their fate depends on the decision of the electoral committee whether to grant them a general invitation or not.

"Sweet 16" (eng. "Sweet Sixteen") - round 1/8 Madness.

"Magnificent (elite) eight" (eng. "Elite 8") - Madness quarter-finals. I suggest the “magnificent eight” option, which sounds more natural for a Russian-speaking person.

"Final Four" - Madness semi-finals.

"Cut down the nets" is a tradition where the team that wins the tournament cuts the nets from the ring as a souvenir. The tradition began in 1947. After winning the Southern Conference tournament, NC State coach "Wolfpack" asked the students to lift him onto their shoulders to cut the net off the hoop as a memento. Since then, the teams that win the tournament repeat his act and cut the grid.

Big Six Conference Championships

In college basketball, there is the concept of a conference-member of the "Big Six" (Eng. "Power 6"). These are the most powerful and most successful conferences in college basketball.

Members:

BIG 10

BIG 12

ACC

SEC

PAC

Big East

Big East usually from one of the first two conferences. And the vast majority of the teams that receive general invitations are also from one of the Six conferences.

How did the tournament become what it is

Why is the tournament so popular?

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“Americans are incredibly loyal to their colleges and universities. It does not matter whether a person just entered the university or graduated 30 years ago, he is, without any doubt, an avid fan of his university team, considers it the best and the only one that deserves the championship title.

This is an exciting competition. Compared to the professional championship, college basketball has fewer playoff matches, a sharper fight, and the final tournament is much faster. Even if their favorite teams don't make it to the finals, Americans still watch every game. Why? It's simple: unlike professional athletes, students do not play for money, but defend the honor of their schools and just love basketball. ”[1]

A perfect explanation of the reasons for the popularity of the tournament. I will add a couple of nuances and explanations from myself.

“Why? It's simple: unlike professional athletes, students don't play for money, but defend the honor of their educational institutions and just love basketball." In addition, for many, this tournament is the only chance for talented guys from less prestigious teams or the conference to prove themselves in the run-up to the NBA draft. Therefore, "Madness", in function, in many respects reminds me of the Youth Ice Hockey World Championship (MChM). The best example of this phenomenon is Kenneth Farid of the Morehead State who are speaking at the Ohio Valley Conference.

The tournament is also of great importance for those players for whom a career in big-time sports will not go beyond the student level. The vast majority of NCAA boys and girls don't go pro. For many athletes, this is the last chance to play the real game before they become accountants, analysts or insurers and continue to play sports in amateur leagues.

Equally important are the fans' regional preferences. In many regions of the United States, there are no professional teams, and local residents become attached to local student teams. It is noteworthy that some of these fans do not even have higher education. For example, the Alabama and Auburn college football teams are hugely popular in a state where there are no professional teams, and American football is the most popular sport by a wide margin. The opposite is true of the limited interest in college sports in big cities like New York.

NIT vs. The Madness

Many people will be surprised to learn that the Madness hasn't always been the premier college basketball tournament. In the middle of the last century, the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) was much more prestigious than the NCAA tournament. For those who are more or less familiar with college basketball, yes, this is the same NIT that now has a reputation as a repechage tournament. In the 1950s, the NCAA basketball tournament began to gain prestige after the NCAA began requiring conference champions to play in their own tournament. 9. This is confirmed by television ratings.

I personally prefer college basketball to professional basketball. Yes, there are problems at the student level: bribes to players, players play for one season - a tactic that has been called “one and done” (one [season] and tied up), and others.

But even if these problems are taken into account, the quality of the rivalry (mind you, not the class of the game) between the student and professional game is heaven and earth.

The last NBA game I watched was Game 7 of the Cavaliers and Warriors that I mentioned earlier. Follow the NBA regular season? No need, thanks. I'd rather paint the wall and watch it dry. Defense has long been forgotten in the NBA. Although it is the fault of the players, if the wrong look at the opponent is already a foul. Team game? What can be a team game in the era of "ISO" (an attack when a player one-on-one tries to beat another player). And to whom did this basketball surrender strongly? LeBron decided that his future career in show business was more important, and for the younger generation, “likes” were more important than titles. Even the stars in college basketball have to work hard to collect likes to get into the NBA first.

Grid (Gridology)

How is a grid constructed?

In addition to the 32 teams that receive an automatic invitation, the electoral committee must identify 36 teams that are worthy of a general invitation. Then you need to seed each of the teams in one of 16 pots, where the first is the best, and the sixteenth is the worst. And in the end, all these teams must be distributed among the regions in such a way that each of the regional grids is competitive.

Upsets

Perhaps the most interesting part of Madness is the upsets. The best example is last year's Virginia Cavaliers upset by the University of Maryland-Baltimore County. This was the first time in tournament history that a Pot 16 team beat a Pot 1 team in the first round. Every year a Cinderella appears, which not only kills the overwhelming majority of the fans' bracket, but also progresses quite far in the tournament. The most notable examples are the Butler Bulldogs and the Virginia Rams Commonwealth University.

Big money

Madness is not only big sport, but also big money.

Baracketology

It is worth noting that former US President Barack Obama is a big fan of the tournament and during his two terms as the country's commander in chief, the "presidential bracket" has become a tradition.

This year

This is how the current year grid looks like.

Who to follow?

I want to immediately thank Alexander Gorokhov, the founder of the blog Dilettante's Notes. He made a gorgeous list, to which I added my players and my comments. Upvote it and subscribe.

Jarrett Kalver ( “ TEX ” , attacking defender, STRACTION)

Statistics of the season: 18. 5 points, 6.3 selection, 3.6 programs, 1 .3 3PTM, 1.3 steals

Suggested draft range: The first five

The best potential franchise: “ Atlanta HOX ”

Type among NBA players: Caris Laverst

Dzharrets Kalver was able to turn from a potential ordinary rolevik into a player, on his shoulders of a leaps with their bombarding talents.

He managed to attract the attention of NBA scouts, who initially did not see anything special in him. He redesigned his running style, and now, thanks to stride length and faster runs, 19The 8cm guard is a more mature player than he was in his freshman year. At the same time, he became a better finisher, realizing almost 6 percent better than the previous year - 58.8% of all shots.

His shooting has evolved this season, allowing him to add more than 97 three-pointers to his stats and to his overall arsenal of mid to long range shots.

Culver doesn't have to lead Texas far in the tournament to get a coveted 2019 Draft green room call.of the year. He has already become one of the most gifted players in the country in both halves of the floor, and is potentially at least a top 5 pick in this draft.

Arrett ( “ DUK ” , attacking defender/light forward, freshman)

Statistics of the season: 22.9 points, 7.5 Chosen, 4,1 assists, 1.9 3-pointers

Predicted draft range: top three

The best potential franchise: “ New York NIKS ” / “ Phoenix Sans ”

Type among NBA players: Michael Radd

18-year-old Er Jay, Brighting Mr. practically does not slow down its momentum during the season, starting with the first game against Kentucky and 33 points against them.

He has just the mentality of an alpha player, the very X-factor on the floor that the teams tanking now so badly need. And during this NCAA tournament, he will definitely have a chance to show it, given Barrett's history of victories in high school and at the international FIBA ​​and Nike Hoop Summit competitions.

Barrett has an untrained instinct to create shooting opportunities for himself in every match by constantly improvising and involving teammates. He may not be the best shooter or assist, but his 1.9 3-pointers and 4.1 assists per game reflect underrated passing and chance-creating skills.

Barrett's biggest questions concern his timing and ability to create easy shots for himself as the game slows down. According to Synergy Sports, Barrett ranks only 53rd among the players on these indicators. « Dallas Mavericks »

NBA player type: Dearon Fox

Ja Morant, arguably the most exciting breakout star in the country, will be the focus of attention at the NCAA Tournament, as for fans who have only seen the light as the season progresses, and to NBA scouts hoping to reaffirm the significance of Jah's regular season results and potential.

His ability to tackle fast breaks speaks for itself, but he deserves the highest praise primarily for his vision and playmaking skills. He is an outstanding attacking specialist, able to destroy even the deepest defenses, create chances for teammates and shoot equally well with both hands.

His scoring ability is also undeniable as he scores more possession points than any other player in the country. Morant is able to put a lot of pressure on the opponent's defense and find ingenious ways to finish attacks both in front of the basket and under it.

Scouts will be watching his jump shot during the tournament, probably more than anyone else. The throw remains his biggest issue, which could keep him from moving to the NBA. He's shooting 33.6 percent from threes, though his 1.6 shots per game is a marked improvement from last year's 0.8.

Kobi White ( “ North Carolina ” , playing/attacking defender, freshman)

Statistics of the season: 16. 3 points, 4.2 transmissions, 2.4 Three -term

Predicted draft range: Lottery

Best potential franchise: Memphis Grizzlies

Type among players0003

By gradually improving his game throughout the season, Kobe White could be the best rookie in North Carolina since Brandon Wright (No. 8 in the draft) in 2007.