Printable NCAA Tournament Bracket 2017: Easy-to-Print Sheet with Tournament Tips

It's here.

On Sunday afternoon, the 2017 NCAA tournament field was released to the public. Get our your pens and pencils—it's bracket time.

Below you will find an easy-to-print bracket courtesy of Turner Sports as well as some tips for winning your own pool.

Note: Don't be scared, but we're getting nerdy.

Bracket

You can find a printable version of the bracket here.

Tips

Don't get cute with your national champion

Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

Upsets are fun. They're why we fill out brackets and why the first few days of March Madness are often the best.

But according to Davidson University math and computer science professor Tim Chartier, who spoke with NCAA.com's Brian Mull, predicting an outlandish national champion almost never works.

Here's the last of Chartier's five-point tip list, which used data from 2002 through 2016:

"

5. Stats of winning teams  - in the past 14 years, every national champion except one was a 1, 2, 3 seed. The exception was Connecticut, a 7 seed. Every winner has been within the top eight best-or-strongest conferences. Every winner has been ranked within the top 25 (using KenPom.com pythagorean ranking method).

"

Yeah, it might be fun to ride the likes of, say, the Princeton Tigers (West) or Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (South), both No. 12 seeds. But your chance of getting them right as a champion is infinitesimal.

OddsShark also noted that eight of the of the past 12 NCAA tournament winners have been No. 1 seeds. The No. 7-seeded UConn Huskies (2014), whom Chartier referenced, No. 3-seeded UConn (2011) and No. 2-seeded UCLA Bruins (2006) have been the only deviations.

Jessica Hill/Associated Press

The rest? All top seeds.

If you're in it strictly for fun, slap the No. 12-seeded UNC-Wilmington Seahawks into the national title game and see what happens. But if you're even slightly serious about winning—whether it be money or simply bragging rights—you'd be wise to place the Villanova Wildcats, Gonzaga Bulldogs, Kansas Jayhawks or North Carolina Tar Heels in your final matchup.

Scratch that itch for upsets with the No. 12 seeds

Mic Smith/Associated Press

Putting a top seed in your title game is like eating vegetables. It's healthy, and it keeps you honest.

Now that we're past those, let's talk dessert. And it doesn't get much more enticing than those delectable No. 12 seeds.

According to NCAA.com's Daniel Wilco, at least one 12th seed has won a first-round contest in 28 of the past 32 years. When it comes to one of the most wildly fickle events in all of sports, that's rock-solid. During that 32-year span, No. 12-seeded teams are 46-82 against No. 5-seeded ones. OddsShark added that in the past 16 years, only once has all four underdog seeds been shut out.

Eric Schultz/Associated Press

The whole phenomenon is downright weird. But it's what makes March Madness so engaging. And even when the No. 12 seeds don't win, the games are at least close.

From Wilco: "The average margin for 5 vs. 12 seeds is only 4.2 points, and the lower seed is 19-26 in games decided by four points or fewer. Two of those close wins came last year, as No. 12 Little Rock knocked Purdue out of the first round with an 85-83 win and No. 12 Yale took down Baylor 79-74."

Here are this year's 12-5 matchups:

Region	Matchup
East	UNC-Wilmington Seahawks (12) vs. Virginia Cavaliers (8)
West	Princeton Tigers (12) vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (5)
Midwest	Nevada Wolf Pack (12) vs. Iowa State Cyclones (5)
South	Middle Tennessee Raiders (12) vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers (5)

Choose wisely. But choose at least one.