Dance like no one is watching... it's NCAA Tournament Time

March 13, 2023 11:19 PM

As we do around these parts, it's time to make some brackets based on dubious distinctions and talk about a little basketball.

Bracket links can be found over on the Fanfare post. This is a lot of fun every year and you don't need to know anything about basketball to play, so please come join us!

posted by joycehealy to MetaFilter-Related at 11:19 PM (15 comments total)

If you don't know anything about basketball, choosing your bracket based team colors or mascots are both acceptable strategies.
posted by Tehhund at 12:37 AM on March 14 [8 favorites]

If you don't know anything about basketball, choosing your bracket based team colors or mascots are both acceptable strategies.

I pick the name that I find more appealing, which traditionally has a very low success rate. I'm sure this year will be different though.
posted by Literaryhero at 5:59 AM on March 14 [1 favorite]

Probably a better strategy than ranking them based on the strength of their library science programs.
posted by box at 7:58 AM on March 14 [6 favorites]

> ... talk about a little basketball.

[ narrows eyes ] How small we talking here?
posted by seanmpuckett at 10:12 AM on March 14 [4 favorites]

box: Probably a better strategy than ranking them based on the strength of their library science programs.

I did one based on 6-year graduation rate, so I will be eagerly looking forward to a very improbable Cinderella run from Princeton.
posted by capricorn at 7:02 PM on March 14 [1 favorite]

OK, I know nothing about basketball and had to look up what NCAA was. Obviously, I'm in! I made all my choices based on alphabetical order, so I'm sure of picking a winner :-)
posted by dg at 12:03 AM on March 15 [2 favorites]

I built my bracket yesterday by the methodology I always use, ranked by how cute/likable I find the mascots. I've got Xavier to win it all.

A close contender was TCU for their horrible toad man. Imagine my delight when I looked through their mascot history to find his dime store cryptid origins.
posted by phunniemee at 5:37 AM on March 15 [5 favorites]

the jayhawks have the benefit of being on the right side of history
posted by dismas at 8:00 AM on March 15

Very clever of the selection committee--having them play Oral Roberts University in the first round will trick me into briefly rooting for Duke.
posted by box at 10:43 AM on March 15 [2 favorites]

I just joined the pool at work they did using the Sleeper app. I made my picks based on percentages chosen by others, with toss-ups (say 60-40 or closer) done by vague positive feelings towards schools.

I'm not a basketball person, but it's nice to be included. And I like to be supportive of other sports nerds.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 1:51 PM on March 15 [2 favorites]

As an academic, I was able to do the better part of a bracket based on the sole criteria of which places have given me and my friends jobs or rejected them from same.
posted by dr. boludo at 8:05 AM on March 16 [4 favorites]

If you don't know anything about basketball, choosing your bracket based team colors or mascots are both acceptable strategies

I once got totally destroyed by someone who did their bracket entirely based on "intimidation level of mascots."
posted by TwoStride at 9:56 AM on March 16 [4 favorites]

Ugh, apparently I joined a second group on ESPN and that took me out of the Metafilter group. But given how badly I did yesterday, I don't have much of a chance anyway.
posted by thecaddy at 6:42 AM on March 17

Lot of grumbling about Arizona getting beaten by Princeton in my office, as most of the brackets had AZ going to the Final Four.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:06 AM on March 17 [1 favorite]

I’m going to need Pitt not to Pitt this game.
posted by joycehealy at 1:21 PM on March 17