Ways to Get Ready for March Madness

The calendar has turned to March, finally, meaning that things are about to get mad. No, scratch that, insane, because March Madness isn't just crazy; it's so bonkers that it actually consumes an entire month of hoops fans' lives.

As ready as we all feel like we are for the best month of college basketball to start, we can never be too prepared, as we consume as many games as we can during Championship Week so that we can pick, overthink and then hope that we chose correctly in our NCAA tourney brackets.

Since we could all use a little more help to try to fill out the ultimate bracket, here are the best ways to get ready for this year's March Madness.

15. Start Scouting Your Cinderellas

It's no secret that the NCAA tournament often gives fans the best upsets of the entire year, with underdogs stunning the higher-ranked teams to give us memorable moments.

For that reason, it's time to start figuring out which team you want to put all your faith in, determining who has the guile and talent to pull off a shocker. Remember, though, regardless of how you end on your Cinderella, always choose wisely—which is why scouting is a must.

14. Find Your Lucky Spot

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Whether it's on the exact couch cushion that has brought you such good luck over the years or a bar that seems to always end with your team coming out victorious, March Madness is all about never missing a moment, so it's clutch to find the lucky spot to watch games from.

This is to be taken seriously, too, because, as a Kentucky grad, last year I went against going to the same spot as previous rounds to watch the Final Four and, yep, my Wildcats lost.

Don't be like me: Find a spot and stick with it throughout the tourney.

13. Watch The Mid-Major Conference Tourneys

More than figuring out which teams could make upset bids in the NCAA tourney, watching the mid-major conference tournaments is just so you don't miss out on good basketball, as the small teams can play, too!

Look no further than the crazy endings in the Atlantic Sun and Missouri Valley Conference tourneys, which saw a game-saving block and a buzzer-beater to determine the champ.

These schools might not have the next NBA superstar, but they could be the team that busts your bracket if you don't pay attention to them.

12. Determine Which Teams Aren't As Good As Their Records Suggest

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Every single year, there are schools in the NCAA tournament that might get into the field of 68 because of a front-loaded schedule that saw them play teams who weren't quite the best competition and rack up wins.

Here's a tip: Avoid choosing them at all costs.

While some of these schools are brand names with future NBA talent on the roster, don't play the "potential" card and convince yourself that they could get hot and make a run through March—unless you want to get burned and see them lose in the first or second round.

11. Ignore The "Experts"

Guys, I know it's easy to think that analysts who get paid lots and lots of money to watch and predict college hoops for a living know more than you, but the truth is, they don't.

While it's important to listen to people like Jay Williams, Seth Davis and others, don't base all of your picks in the NCAA tourney off of what the prognosticators say, because, believe it or not, they will be wrong.

The beauty of the tournament is the unpredictability it brings each year, which is why a perfect bracket has never seen the light of day—not even by a college basketball "expert."

10. Ask For Tips From Co-Workers

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Sure, while you can prepare yourself for March Madness by watching every single conference tournament out there, there will still be teams and players who slip through the cracks.

For that reason, don't be afraid to lean on the advice of co-workers to get tips about their alma mater or, yes, even trusting them to pick a game or two that you're completely stumped on once the seedings are released.

It can be a tricky proposition, but with so many games and matchups that you know nothing about, sometimes, it's important to trust a colleague who might be able to share info with you.

9. Pick Your Upsets Wisely

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Did you know that 2015 was the first time a 12th-seeded team didn't upset a No. 5 seed in the first round of the NCAA tournament since 2007? So while fans believe that it happens every single year, sometimes, the higher seed does actually win.

That's not to say that the same thing will happen again in 2016, though, meaning you're left trying to figure out which games you want to choose as your go-to upsets that will help separate your bracket from everyone else's.

Will it be a No. 16 defeating a No. 1 to spoil everyone's bracket—something that has never happened in tournament history—or something else that no one could foresee coming? That's on you to take risks and be smart when choosing your upsets.

8. Go With The Backcourts

If there's one thing that most fans can almost always trust in March, it's guard play determining how far a team can go in the tournament.

Year after year, it seems as though the best backcourts are the ones who live to see another day, as the decision-makers who handle the rock the most and control the pace of the game come up the biggest in crunch time.

Remember when George Mason became the darling of the 2006 NCAA tournament and reached the Final Four? It's because of its leadership in the backcourt from guards Tony Skinn and Lamar Butler, proving that those who can handle the pressure the most will, typically, see success.

7. Always Have Your Spreadsheet Cover-Up Ready

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Most of these tips are to help prepare you for how to choose your upsets and determine where the best spot to watch the games will be from, but the simplest question should be this: How do I avoid my boss catching me watching games on my computer?

The short answer is, you can't, as he/she will most likely be doing the exact same thing once the tourney tips next Thursday.

The longer answer, though, is to always have a minimized spreadsheet ready to open up on your work computer should he or she walk by, you know, just in case.

6. Set Your DVR To The Only Channels That Matter

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One of the best things about the NCAA tournament is that every single game is available to watch live, meaning there's a lot of basketball overload that fans need to prepare for.

So while streaming a contest between your favorite school on your work computer is important to you, if a big-time upset occurs and you missed it, the best thing is to have is a backup plan recording on your DVR at home.

Sure, you may know the outcome before you get to watch it, thanks to Twitter, Facebook and other social media outlets, but at least you have the option to watch it once you get off work to see it for yourself at some point.

5. Figure Out What Your Work Excuse Is Going To Be

For those who aren't lucky enough to work from home and need to drag themselves into an office every day, it's up to you to do whatever you can to make sure you don't miss a second of NCAA tournament action.

Yes, that includes figuring out the best excuse in order to watch games while at work.

Of course, that doesn't mean you have to lie to your boss and play hooky like you're Ferris Bueller enjoying the day off, but scheduling meetings early in the day so that you're not pulled away from your computer when games are on should be a definite consideration.

And, hey, if you happen to feel a little "tickle" in your throat Thursday and Friday of the first round, staying home is just in the best interest of your colleagues so they don't get sick, right?

4. Find The Superstars Who Can Take Over A Game

The names Buddy Hield, Denzel Valentine and Kris Dunn should be fresh in your mind, because these are just three of the superstars who could go off at any given time and single-handedly lead their teams to a tourney victory.

March is all about surviving and advancing, with style points and margin of victory something that only casual fans worry about.

Knowing that, even if a favored team is losing by double digits at half, should that squad have a superstar who can take over in the second half, look out. Because that player can shine to close out the game to march on through the tournament.

And it's on you to know who those players are.

3. See Who's Trending in the Right Direction

Had you asked me a month ago whom my Final Four picks would have been, I guarantee you they weren't the teams I would choose today because of how those teams have played leading up to the tournament.

Teams like Arizona, Maryland and Duke might be brand names who have all the talent in the country and could make a deep run, but based off of how they've played recently, you shouldn't be the one to bet on it.

The safer bet would be those teams who perform well in conference tournaments and have strong leadership in big games, because those are the teams who typically make a strong bid to reach the Final Four each year.

2. Get All Your Devices In Order

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As mentioned, it's easy to watch every game in the NCAA tournament, but you have to know how to watch each contest—and that means breaking out the tablet, cell phone and anything else that has a screen and Internet connection.

Go ahead and DVR games from your home TV and watch live from your computer screen at work, but remember to always have a few other devices handy should you get pulled into a meeting in the office, stuck in traffic or find yourself in the bowels of a building because the zombie apocalypse suddenly occurs.

One can never be overprepared when it comes to watching the NCAA tournament.

1. Go With What Your Gut Says

It seems to happen every single year. I fill out my bracket on Sunday night once the seeds are announced, and by Thursday when games finally tip, my bracket has been rearranged and overthought.

Don't be like me.

That's not to say you shouldn't reexamine your picks, but don't toss and turn and analyze games as if you're trying to answer an unsolvable math problem.

Stick with your gut and have fun—that's what makes March Madness the best in the first place.