99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Filling Out Your Hoops Bracket

Book excerpt: The NCAA Tournament is an American institution. For a month in March, college basketball expands far beyond the hard-court into living rooms and offices, while cultivating the spirit of sport and bringing out the competitive nature in men and women from all walks of life and with all types of hoops IQ.This "personal coach in a pocket" is exactly that-a one-stop shop for collegebasketball experts and enthusiasts as well as bracket novices filling out their Sweet Sixteen as a bonding ritual with friends and family.Through 99 practical points - some based on seasonal trends and coaching records and others based on the deciding factors novices use in picking winners like favorite colors, best-looking coeds and best mascots-this book offers something for every NCAA Tournament participant.The NCAA Tournament is about Roy Williams' record in games decided by five points or less. It is also about which high school a certain player went to or how much an individual liked a certain school's sorority party. As much as experts cringe, there is no flawless system to the perfect bracket pool.The 99 Series offers the best combination of analysis and anecdotes, success stories and satire to paint the portrait of a sports institution helping men and women of all levels fill out their own perfect bracket pool.So when you're up at midnight with work just six hours away and Texas - the team you have winning the national title - can't seem to put away a small school from central Wisconsin, you will be prepared for March's complete Madness.