So “The Mount” came through as advertised, beating Coppin State (+7) 69-60 in the March Madness play-in (excuse me, Opening Round) game. That was my so-called “sure bet” for the Tournament, and even then it took a free-throw parade at the end for MSM to cash in. I don’t think there will be any other no-brainers.

I’ve already mused that you could take the moneyline on all the No. 1 seeds to beat the No. 16s, but good luck finding anything beyond the pointspread on these matchups. Look at this: UCLA is favored by 32 points over Mississippi Valley State. Even Kobayashi couldn’t eat that much chalk on the moneyline.

The NCAAB market is about to be flooded with first-time Tournament bettors. Perhaps you are one of them. Remember, there really are no sure bets. Top handicappers are giddy if they get three out of five correct. Don’t blow your stack all on one matchup.

This Sunday is Selection Sunday, the day when we’ll know the identities of all 65 teams participating in this year’s men’s college March Madness basketball tournament. Until then, at least we know when and where the games will take place.

Mar. 18: Opening-round game in Dayton
Mar. 20: First-round games in Anaheim, Denver, Omaha and Washington, D.C.
Mar. 21: First-round games in Birmingham, North Little Rock, Raleigh and Tampa
Mar. 22: Second-round games in Anaheim, Denver, Omaha and Washington, D.C.
Mar. 23: Second-round games in Birmingham, North Little Rock, Raleigh and Tampa
Mar. 27: Sweet 16 East and West Regionals in Charlotte and Phoenix
Mar. 28: Sweet 16 Midwest and South Regionals in Detroit and Houston
Mar. 29: Elite Eight East and West Regionals in Charlotte and Phoenix
Mar. 30: Elite Eight Midwest and South Regionals in Detroit and Houston
Apr. 5: Final Four in San Antonio
Apr. 7: Championship Game in San Antonio

Basketball may be tumbling in popularity, at least according to this year’s Harris Poll on sports, but March Madness makes up for it with an orgiastic 65-team Tournament featuring the best programs in the nation. Millions of brackets will be filled in and busted. Teams at the NBA Draft will overvalue strong performances, especially by players from Duke.

We’ll know some of the Tournament teams this week – it’s called Championship Week, although the conference tourneys won’t be finished until Mar. 16. Not every conference has a tourney, mind you. Cornell (20-5 SU, 10-6 ATS) is the first team in the big dance after clinching the Ivy League.

The next three automatic bids will come from the Horizon League, the Big South and the OVC. All three tipped off their conference tourneys on Tuesday. The No. 12 Butler Bulldogs (who have a tourney bye until the weekend) are the pick of this litter at 27-3 SU and 14-13-2 ATS.

March Madness is still a couple of months away but it’s never too early to take out that bracket and to consider the possible matchups going into the upcoming NCAA Tournament. Are you ready? Selection Sunday takes place March 15th.

Every year the NCAA Selection Committee gathers around some dusty old boardroom table in an effort to pick 65 of the best men’s college basketball teams. And every year they inevitably face the public and media scrutiny for at least a few of their selections, omissions and seedings. Once the final selections have been made…that’s when the real fun begins.

Filling out your bracket

Bracketology is the process of predicting the field of the NCAA Basketball Tournament. It isn’t an exact science or anything…it’s all about predicting how the NCAA Selection Committee will drum up its roster of 65 teams so that you can fill out your bracket. (Apparently, Joe Lunardi of ESPN was the firs to use “bracketology”. )

But before you can predict which teams will make the cut, you need to get your hands on a fresh clean bracket. You won’t want to use last year’s raggedy old thing…that one’s all busted up, remember?

They know what they’re doing at the University of Kansas. Their first basketball coach was Dr. James Naismith, the inventor of the game. Their second coach was Dr. Forrest ”Phog” Allen – the originator of the NCAA men’s basketball Tournament.

The first tourney was held in 1939. It was an eight-team format, with Oregon defeating Ohio State 46-33 to win the championship. The field would double to 16 teams in 1951, then grow bigger and bigger until reaching the familiar bracket of 64 in 1985. The “opening round” game for the 64th spot started in 2001. UCLA holds the record for most titles with 11, all but one coming between 1964 and 1973 under coach John Wooden.

The term “March Madness” itself also dates back to 1939 and an essay of the same name by H. V. Porter. Commentator Brent Musburger is credited with popularizing the term in the 1980s. If he only knew.