My Dance card

This year, for the first time, I actually filled in a blank NCAA Tournament bracket. A really blank one, one that magazines put out the week before Selection Sunday, not the one that comes out afterward. We filled it in driving back from Indianapolis on Sunday, and it was semi-legible and sort of fun.

Of course, I haven't looked at the brackets since, but now it's time.

Midwest
First round: Kansas def. Portland State, Kent State def. UNLV, Clemson def. Villanova, Vanderbilt def. Siena, USC def. Kansas State, Wisconsin def. Fullerton, Davidson def. Gonzaga, Georgetown def. UMBC
Second round: Kansas def. Kent State, Clemson def. Vandy, Wisconsin def. USC, Georgetown def. Davidson
Third round: Clemson def. Kansas, Georgetown def. Wisconsin
Fourth round: Georgetown def. Clemson. It is not inconceivable that the Badgers could win this region. As has been said, it's not as much about seeding as it is about matchups, and Kansas is the only team in this region that UW doesn't seem to match up well against - and that's debatable.

East
First round: UNC def. whoever, Indiana def. Arkansas, Notre Dame def. George Mason, Washington State def. Winthrop, St. Joe's def. Oklahoma, Loiusville def. Boise State, Butler def. South Alabama, Tennessee def. American
Second round: UNC def. Indiana, Washington State def. Notre Dame, Louisville def. St. Joe's, Tennessee def. Butler
Third round: UNC def. Washington State, Tennessee def. Louisville
Fourth round: Tennessee def. UNC. God, I hope so, there are few things in college hoops fandom as annoying as the Tar Heels, their coach, and their "fans" across the nation who profess their love for this all-star team.

West
First round: UCLA def. Mississippi Valley State, Texas A&M def. BYU, Drake def. Western Kentucky, UConn def. San Diego, Purdue def. Baylor, Xavier def. Georgia, Arizona def. West Virginia, Duke def. Belmont
Second round: UCLA def. Texas A&M, Drake def. UConn, Purdue def. Xavier, Arizona def. Duke (I can hear my friends' laughter ...)
Third round: UCLA def. Drake, Purdue def. Arizona
Fourth round: UCLA def. Purdue. Don't know why I'm picking Purdue to win three games after watching them lose to Illinois, but I'm impressed with these kids.

South
First round: Memphis def. Texas-Arlington, Mississippi State def. Oregon, Michigan State def. Temple, Pittsburgh def. Oral Roberts, Marquette def. Kentucky, Stanford def. Cornell, Saint Mary's def. Miami, Texas def. Austin Peay
Second round: Memphis def. Mississippi State, Pittsburgh vs. Michigan State, Stanford def. Marquette, Texas def. Saint Mary's
Third round: Pitt def. Memphis, Stanford def. Texas
Fourth round: Stanford def. Pitt. Really like that Lopez kid, the one who doesn't look like Sideshow Bob.

Semifinals: UCLA def. Stanford, Georgetown def. Tennessee
Final: Georgetown def. UCLA

Best bets for a double-digit seed to make the Sweet 16: Arizona, Davidson, Saint Mary's
Best bet for 12-5 upset: George Mason-Notre Dame
Best bet for 13-4 upset: Winthrop-Washington State
Best bet for first top seed to lose: Memphis
If you made me bet $1 million on the Final Four I'd pick: UCLA, North Carolina, Memphis, Kansas. Strong #1 seeds.

Go ahead and copy this onto your brackets. I get 35% of your winnings.