March Madness 2017 Brackets: Favorites, Sleepers, Cinderellas and More Advice

Attempting to fill out an NCAA tournament bracket is a simple endeavor. But doing it correctly and with precision takes a great deal of effort and care.

Knowing the teams, the coaches and the opponents is not always enough. It's important to have luck as a positive factor, because there are just too many things that can go wrong along the way.

The first thing to consider is that the NCAA tournament committee knows what it is doing. Especially when it comes to the top seeds. While there's a chance that one of those top seeds will get knocked out prior to the Sweet 16, three of the top seeds should make it to the second week of the tournament. 

It's not always a good idea to try to find the one favorite that will get stopped, but we believe that defending champion Villanova, North Carolina and Gonzaga will make it through the opening two games.

However, Kansas is the No. 1 seed that will get stopped. The Jayhawks lost in the Big 12 tournament to TCU, and head coach Bill Self should have his team looking forward and not backward.

The Jayhawks should not have a problem winning in the first round, but they are likely to play ninth-seeded Michigan State in the second round.

Tom Izzo's Spartans have had a difficult season and finished with a 19-14 record to go along with their fifth-place finish in the Big Ten.

Michigan State is a young team led by freshman star Miles Bridges, and the Spartans have played a nasty and grueling schedule that has left quite a bit of scar tissue. But with that pain comes knowledge, and Michigan State should be ready to play its best basketball.

Nobody will expect the Spartans to beat the mighty Jayhawks, and that may include some Kansas players. Self will try to make sure his players don't take Michigan State lightly, but by the time they get that message, it will be too late.

The Spartans will scratch and claw and find a way to come up with an upset. 

That makes the Spartans one of our sleeper teams in the tournament. Middle Tennessee, the 12th-seed in the South region, is another sleeper.

The Blue Raiders are tough and talented. They finished with a 30-4 record and won the Conference USA title.

Rick Wilson/Associated Press

Head coach Kermit Davis has three strong players in forwards JaCorey Williams, Giddy Potts and Reggie Upshaw, who all average 14 points a game or better. The Blue Raiders are strong in the front court and experienced, and they are likely to attack the basket on nearly every possession.

The team deserve respect, and it is going to earn it in the first round of the tournament when it plays fifth-seeded Minnesota.

The Golden Gophers enjoyed a wonderful turnaround in the Big Ten after a miserable 2015-16 season, and head coach Richard Pitino deserves quite a bit of credit for making that happen. The Gophers have a 24-9 record and finished fourth in the Big Ten.

They were eliminated from the Big Ten conference tournament by Michigan, and while guard Nate Mason averages 15.5 points per game, we don't see Minnesota getting past this sleeper.

Northwestern may be the most notable Cinderella team in the tournament. The Wildcat players and supporters were roaring loudly when they saw their name in the bracket for the first time Sunday night.

Head coach Chris Collins has built a talented and opportunistic team that has learned how to play together and win big games. The Wildcats were 23-11 and fifth in the Big Ten, and that was enough to help this school get into the NCAA tournament for the first time.

The Wildcats are not a star-laden team, but guards Bryant McIntosh and Scottie Lindsey know how to take over when the game is on the line. McIntosh is a superb ball handler who averages a team-high 14.4 points and 5.2 assists per game.

Lindsey is averaging 14.2 points per night and connecting on 84.4 percent of his free throws.

The Wildcats will face Vanderbilt in the first round, and while the Commodores' 19-15 record is not impressive, this is a team that won seven of its last eight games before falling to Arkansas in the SEC tournament.

Head coach Bryce Drew has led his team to some impressive victories over Florida (twice) and South Carolina, but his team suffered tough losses to Middle Tennessee, Tennessee and Bucknell.

Center Luke Kornet averages 13.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, and the Commodores can get red hot from the outside, but they are not consistent.

Look for Northwestern to play rock-solid defense and come away with a Cinderella win.

Kent State could also be a Cinderella team against UCLA. Many observers expect the third-seeded Bruins to have a long and memorable run in the tournament behind the exploits of sensational freshman Lonzo Ball, but we will go with the 22-13 Golden Flashes to survive and advance.

Senior forward Jimmy Hall is a bona fide scorer who is averaging 18.9 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. He will lead a solid effort that allows head coach Rob Senderoff's team to win its fifth game in a row and 10th in its last 11.