After the Cardinal and Cream staff filled out their March Madness brackets, they each answered five important questions about their picks.
1. What is your strategy when it comes to filling out a bracket?
Michael Chapman: When Vanderbilt makes it to the tournament, I pick them to win it all. When they’re not, I scratch Duke out, replace them with Vanderbilt, and pick Vanderbilt to win it all.
Seth Horton: My strategy is to be correct, which I am.
Gracie Sloan: I know little to nothing about basketball, so places that I have been to and teams with a cool name play a big role in it. Like Gonzaga. What kind of name is that?! Obviously a cool one so duh they win.
Suzanne Rhodes: For the most part, I either chose the team that had the coolest name (say Wichita three times really fast) or the team in a really pretty city.
Ted Kluck: I choose teams based on a combination of nostalgia (Villanova, Providence and other iconic 80s/90s programs), teams I hate (Michigan State – long story involving NFL free agency), football programs (Florida State, Texas Tech, Texas), one of the teams being Butler (because, Gordon Hayward), schools that Kyle Korver attended (Creighton) and schools that sound like they are east coast finishing schools for women in the early 1900s (Radford, more below).
2. How much research did you do before filling it out?
Michael Chapman: I watched a good bit over the course of the year, but since I’ve been busy since the bracket came out I’ve done very little in preparation for March Madness itself.
Seth Horton: More than I am proud of. Definitely enough to be called a nerd by my roommate.
Gracie Sloan: Absolutely zero. It even gives you a place to learn more about the teams when you fill it out and I still didn’t do that.
Suzanne Rhodes: I place my confidence on my instincts.
Ted Kluck: None whatsoever.
3. Who are you rooting for to win it all?
Michael Chapman: Vanderbilt. I don’t care that they’re not in the tournament; I’m fiercely loyal.
Seth Horton: … we aren’t talking about this. (Editor’s note: Seth is a Virginia fan)
Gracie Sloan: Tennessee!!! Go Vols!!! Or North Carolina because I have this weird obsession with the state because it has mountains on one side and the beach on the other. But I also have Villanova winning on my bracket so I guess them too? Obviously I’m not too invested.
Suzanne Rhodes: Creighton.
Ted Kluck: Nobody. I really don’t care, and I mean that not as affront to people who do care, rather, I just couldn’t tell you who has won any of the most recent NCAA Tournaments because it just doesn’t matter to me. Basketball-wise, I watch the NBA exclusively. The last NCAA tournament I remember caring about involved Keith Smart (as a player) and Rony Seikaly.
4. Who are your Final Four teams, and why?
Michael Chapman: Virginia: because they’re the best team in the country and they’re toughest competition in their region is Tennessee, who absolutely will not get to the Final Four. Gonzaga: because I have no confidence in Xavier as the #1 seed and Michigan and UNC will wear each other down in the Sweet 16, so Gonzaga will get a physically depleted team in the Elite Eight. Purdue: because they were the best team in a loaded Big Ten Conference whose only legitimate challenger in the region in Villanova. Duke: because Grayson Allen will undoubtedly trip Miles Bridges in the Sweet 16, ending Bridges’ career and sealing the win for the Blue Devils.
Seth Horton: Virginia: They are the best team in the country and that’s just a fact at this point. If you want to beat them, you’ll have to find a way to take out Tony Bennett for the entire tournament because even if they lose one round, they’ll find a way back into the final four. (Editor’s note: Seth is a Virginia fan). Gonzaga: Ok so their strength of schedule is about as weak as my dog (she’s a yorkie and she’s adorable). However, I think they’re well coached and have the assets to make a run for the final four if they run into some luck, which at least one or two teams do every year. Michigan State: It’s Tom Izzo during the month of March. Duh. Villanova: They’re the second best team in the country and the complete opposite play style of Virginia with an overpowered offense and only an average defense. I’d love to see them match up in the Championship (unfortunately they will lose to Michigan State in the final four).
Gracie Sloan: Tennessee because go vols! Villanova because they are a number 1 seed and I have heard people talk about them. Michigan State because I feel like they can beat #1 Kansas in the round before (I have no real reason to think this but oh well). And finally North Carolina because they are ranked number 2 so they must be good plus I totally dig the baby blue. I’m basic. Sorry.
Suzanne Rhodes: I have Creighton to win it all because I know a guy named Creighton who makes me laugh, so I thought it was the least I could do to let him win the whole championship. Creighton will go head to head with Villanova because that sounds like an evil villain in a Disney movie. Providence is my team from the West part of the bracket (whatever that means) because Providence is a very pretty city, and they will be playing Pennsylvania because everyone likes a good underdog.
Ted Kluck: Michigan, Purdue, Miami, and Duke. Michigan because of the color scheme, the football program, the winged helmet, and the Fab Five from the 90s. Purdue because I got some letters from them for football way back in the day, and because Mike Alstott went there. Miami because of their football program in the 80s/90s…The U. And Duke because they have Grayson Allen who I hear regularly trips people on the court and whose name makes him sound like a “Downton Abbey” character.
5. Who is your biggest sleeper team in the tournament?
Michael Chapman: If a 16 seed will ever upset a 1 seed, it will be when Penn faces Kansas this season.
Seth Horton: N.C. State. Don’t ask me why they’ll make it to the elite eight. I don’t have answer. They just will.
Gracie Sloan: Within the first round I have Davidson beating Kentucky because I really hate Kentucky (especially Kentucky basketball fans. Sorry, y’all are literally only good at one thing. Sit down please). Past that I have Gonzaga beating Xavier. This was a toss up because they both are cool names but Gonzaga won me over in the end. Also, this is me assuming that sleeper means underdog? I’m not entirely sure.
Suzanne Rhodes: You lost me at sleeper team.
Ted Kluck: Radford. I’m fascinated by the idea of a school named Radford because it sounds like an east coast finishing school for women in the early-1900s. Like the kind of place that has an Equestrian team, an afternoon tea service, and lots of ivy on the buildings. Update: I looked. It was founded as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women in 1910 in Virginia…so I wasn’t all that far off. Also, their logo involves plaid, which I am a fan of in general.
