- Hometown/Homestate team – Stella
One thing about college students is they never stop talking about their hometown. How often do you have a conversation with someone and they bring up where they grew up? Every single conversation. So, the easiest and best way to pick a bracket is by picking their hometown team. It is the perfect excuse to bring up your hometown in a new way, several times a day. Imagine it: “How is your bracket doing?” “Oh, my whole family went to the University of Kansas and I’m from Kansas City, so obviously I picked them and they won.” I am foaming at the mouth just thinking about all of the opportunities to bring up where I’m from during tournaments. So, if you want an excuse to bring up your hometown like any other college student, pick your hometown team to win it all.
2. Mascots – Eileen
Choosing based on mascots is no trivial matter. A true believer of this method has tried all the different matchup combinations: which mascot would win in a fight? Which mascot has the better outfit? Which mascot is more acrobatic? Which mascot, and this is an important one, heckles opposing fans better? And, of course, which of the mascots reminds you the most of your favorite animal?
3. Colors – Lucie
Don’t bother with rankings when you can rely on the perfectly scientific measure of championship potential: color schemes! Bright and bold colors like Auburn’s orange can grab attention—and maybe an NCAA title, too. Classic palettes like Xavier’s blue and gray suggest poise and confidence. Duke’s iconic blue? Definitely championship energy. Montana’s washed-out maroon? Maybe not. If you want your bracket to be as visually appealing as it is competitive, base your picks on the teams rocking the best jersey color schemes.
4. Player names – Eileen
From Oregon’s Supreme Cook stirring things up on the court to University of Rhode Island’s Always Wright arguing with the refs, these players’ names almost put an “i” in team. Bogdon Bogdonovic, Townsend Triple, Jrue Holiday, Tony Toney, George Washington III, Precious Achiuwa, and Jizzle James are other standouts. North Carolina Central’s guard Po’Boigh King makes me hungry for the sandwich–perhaps Supreme Cook could make one. Want to see Derek Jeter play basketball? The closest you might get would be to watch Legend Geeter at Detroit Mercy. Maybe you want these players’ teams to win your bracket just to read the pun-filled headlines in the newspapers.
5. Based on the state with less electoral college votes – Stella
Some states just need a win. As a place with only three electoral college votes, so virtually no sway in the presidential election outcomes in the nation, states like Wyoming must feel some sort of helplessness. What is their purpose as a state is not to elect leaders? Win a basketball tournament. They don’t have to get distracted by political campaigning all the time, so they can lock in at practice. Root for the underdog, give those states with less than seven electoral votes a chance to do something, and pick them to win it all in your bracket.
6. Coach attractiveness – Lucie
Hear us out: as a player, wouldn’t you pay closer attention to your coach’s corrections if those words came from a perfectly sculpted and conventionally attractive face? We certainly think this is a valid reason to pick your bracket. Does their sideline presence exude confidence? Does their well-tailored suit make them look born to hoist a trophy? If the answer is yes, that’s your winner. After all, in sports, everyone wants to keep the photogenic coaches in the tournament as long as possible, right?
7. Talent of the school’s/city’s/state’s other teams – Stella
Just as when you study with someone who is really smart and they explain the concepts, having other good teams nearby could transform your team. The South Carolina women are arguably the best women’s basketball program in history, so that must mean they have rubbed off a little on the men – ignoring the last calendar year. Everyone is under one athletic department, so take a look at some women’s sports rankings to make decisions about how a men’s sport will perform.
8. Team name – Stella
If a team wins the national championship, they will be talked about continuously. Why not pick one that’s fun to say? Gonzaga, always a classic. Do I know anything about Beaver College or Slippery Rock University? No, but I want to now. On the other hand, Michigan? Texas A&M? Oregon? C’mon, give us something. So this year, think about how often you have to talk about the teams in your bracket, and do yourself a favor by picking teams that are fun to say.
9. General vibe – Lucie
Sometimes, you can just feel the good vibes. Even if the team doesn’t have the best record, the most NIL money (for college teams), or the flashiest uniforms, there’s something inexplicable about their energy. Maybe it’s how passionate their fans are, or perhaps their underdog charm makes you pick SIU Edwardsville over #1-ranked Houston. Whatever it may be, trust your gut. When the vibe feels right, it usually is. After all, your odds of getting a perfect bracket are 1 in 9.2 quintillion—so why not go with your instincts?
10. The enemies of your enemies are your friends – Eileen
A tale as old as time. Imagine your team gets knocked out early in the bracket. You don’t care who wins anymore, but I bet you have some teams you want to lose. Instead of choosing bracket winners, think of it as eliminating division rivals as losers. Take out that dynastic team just because they beat your team once five years ago. They deserve to lose–even if you’re the only one who knows it.
