My 2012 NCAA Tourney bracket: the virgin bracket

Behold my 2012 NCAA Men’s Tournament bracket, which I turned in for the tourney pool at my dad’s former workplace. (He retired at the end of 2011, but we have entered his work pool for years.)

I hate filling out a bracket. I really do. The NCAA Tournament is American sports at its best: it is unique, exciting, and fair. Year after year, a champion earns their crown on the hardwood. And while I understand that personal brackets and work pools are supposed to be harmless fun, it is hard for me not to take it seriously. Very seriously. Frankly, it is sometimes aggravating.

I almost decided not to fill out a bracket so I could enjoy the tournament without any allegiances or bias; I just wanted to enjoy watching basketball. But I could not resist. Plus, I won the pool way back in 2000 so I know it is possible to get lucky.

This year I decided to post daily bracket updates as the tourney progresses. I will win some and no doubt lose some, but hopefully posting will inject a little more fun into the bracket experience.

Much as I did in 2000, and much like Bobblehead when he filled out his bracket Monday night at Coach’s Corner, I have penned Michigan State as my champions. The Spartans will (hopefully) claim their third championship after avenging their Carrier Classic loss to North Carolina. (Revenge is so sweet, especially when a title is on the line.)

Other notable decisions I made:

-Long Beach State upsets New Mexico. I know I will probably eat this one, but I just cannot pick a team coached by Steve Alford.

-Davidson upsets Louisville. I know nothing about Davidson but was never impressed with Louisville this year. Then again, I know very little about either team.

-Kansas State upends Syracuse in the Third Round. Both teams need to advance, and it will be a taller task for KSU I am sure.

-Kansas goes down to Saint Mary’s in the Third Round. Screw the Jayhawks! They have screwed me over every time I picked them as champions so I am knocking them off early in anticipation.

-Second thoughts about UNC and Michigan. Reasoning often produces very awkward match-ups — like the Creighton-Temple tilt I penned for the Sweet 16. Frankly, I felt it unlikely that Creighton, Temple, San Diego State, or Saint Mary’s would advance to the Final Four. (Anything can happen, though.) I ultimately decided UNC and Michigan would advance past the Third Round.

Let the games being — for better or worse.