Texas, March Madness Is Upon Us, And We've Got Your Winning Bracket Tips

It's March Madness time, and men and women across the nation are studying the matchups and filling out their brackets, hoping to win bragging rights (and some money for their efforts).

Here's a March Madness 2017 bracket for you to print, and be sure to do so before March 16, when the tournament begins.

Let's take a look at the draw, and then we'll talk about a few tips that should help you get your pool submissions in great shape.

East Region
No. 1 Villanova vs. No. 16 (Mount St. Mary’s/New Orleans)
No. 8 Wisconsin vs. No. 9 Virginia Tech
No. 5 Virginia vs. No. 12 UNC-Wilmington
No. 4 Florida vs. No. 13 East Tennessee State
No. 3 Baylor vs. No. 14 New Mexico State
No. 6 SMU vs. No. 11 (Providence/USC)
No. 7 South Carolina vs. No. 10 Marquette
No. 2 Duke vs. No. 15 Troy

Midwest Region
No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 16 (N.C. Central/UC Davis)
No. 8 Miami vs. No. 9 Michigan State
No. 5 Iowa State vs. No. 12 Nevada
No. 4 Purdue vs. No. 13 Vermont
No. 3 Oregon vs. No. 14 Iona
No. 6 Creighton vs. No. 11 Rhode Island
No. 7 Michigan vs. No. 10 Oklahoma State
No. 2 Louisville vs. No. 15 Jacksonville State

South Region
No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 16 Texas Southern
No. 8 Arkansas vs. No. 9 Seton Hall
No. 5 Minnesota vs. No. 12 Middle Tennessee
No. 4 Butler vs. No. 13 Winthrop
No. 3 UCLA vs. No. 14 Kent State
No. 6 Cincinnati vs. No. 11 (Kansas State/Wake Forest)
No. 7 Dayton vs. No. 10 Wichita State
No. 2 Kentucky vs. No. 15 Northern Kentucky

West Region
No. 1 Gonzaga vs. No. 16 South Dakota State
No. 8 Northwestern vs. No. 9 Vanderbilt
No. 5 Notre Dame vs. No. 12 Princeton
No. 4 West Virginia vs. No. 13 Bucknell
No. 3 Florida State vs. No. 14 Florida Gulf Coast
No. 6 Maryland vs. No. 11 Xavier
No. 7 Saint Mary's vs. No. 10 VCU
No. 2 Arizona vs. No. 15 North Dakota

First, to the possible March Madness upsets. I've been doing some research, and found a great round-up of some of the matches that could shock, courtesy Marc Tracy and Zach Schonbrun at the New York Times.

How about No. 12 Princeton over 5th-seeded Notre Dame? Or 14th seed Iona beating No. 3 Oregon? Sure, why not. And don't forget No. 14 Florida Gulf Coast over No. 3 Florida State. Read these upset tips and get ready to boast.

Now, on to a few overall picking tips, culled from NPR's Tom Goldman, who knows a thing or two about the tournament.

First, if you want to be serious about your bracket, do not pick your alma mater, unless you went to UCLA, Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, or North Carolina ... you get the picture. This is not about school spirit. It's about winning.

Goldman says that 12 seeds have done well in the past — see Princeton, a 12 seed, above — and advocates picking one. One provision: If you do go for a big upset, such as North Dakota (15) over Arizona (No. 2), enjoy that upset (if it happens) and then drop North Dakota fast, because Cinderella teams often collapse after the excitement of the big kill.

As for the eventual 2017 March Madness national champ, Goldman, in addition to the usual suspects, has his eye on Villanova (last year's winner), Louisville, and Gonzaga.

Finally, for those of you who will make your March Madness bracket picks based on team mascots, you'll want to know this: Cats rule.

By the way, Kansas and Gonzaga, plus Kentucky and Duke are my picks. Leave us your tips on the comments section.

— Image public domain