By its nature, Bracketology is a long, painstaking process grounded in the details, some quite minute. Each one thought about once, twice, perhaps 10 times before I can be satisfied the formula has been followed. But that's putting the bracket together. Picking the winners is essentially taking the bracket apart. That kind of work needs to be done quickly. The analysis of an entire season of college basketball has already been done, so deciding the winner of all 67 games is all about first instincts. Go with your gut.
From the days of making my own brackets on my parents' living room floor with a pencil, a ruler and construction paper, to today plugging in my winners on ESPN, it has always been about making a quick decision and sticking to it. So that is what I have done here. These are my picks for the entire tournament, from the First Four to the championship game -- and I made them as soon as the bracket was announced. No long looks. No extra analysis. I dove right in and didn't look back to construct my true Instant Bracket.
First Four
ALBANY 1 REGION
No. 16 Sacred Heart 68, No. 16 Presbyterian 61
ALBANY 2 REGION
No. 16 UT Martin 52, No. 16 Holy Cross 50
PORTLAND 3 REGION
No. 12 Vanderbilt 54, No. 12 Columbia 46
No. 11 Arizona 58, No. 11 Auburn 54
Albany 1
FIRST ROUND PICKS
No. 1 South Carolina 102, No. 16 Sacred Heart 51
No. 8 North Carolina 64, No. 9 Michigan State 68
No. 5 Oklahoma 82, No. 12 Florida Gulf Coast 80
No. 4 Indiana 67, No. 13 Fairfield 58
No. 6 Nebraska 72, No. 11 Texas A&M 68
No. 3 Oregon State 77, No. 14 Eastern Washington 52
No. 7 Ole Miss 68, No. 10 Marquette 44
No. 2 Notre Dame 89, No. 15 Kent State 60
SECOND ROUND PICKS
No. 1 South Carolina 89, No. 9 Michigan State 62
No. 5 Oklahoma 88, No. No. 4 Indiana 84
No. 3 Oregon State 68, No. 6 Nebraska 61
No. 7 Ole Miss 57, No. 2 Notre Dame 55
SWEET 16 PICKS
No. 1 South Carolina 94, No. 5 Oklahoma 68
No. 7 Ole Miss 65, No. 3 Oregon State 64
ELITE EIGHT PICK
No. 1 South Carolina 79, No. 7 Ole Miss 62
REGION ANALYSIS: South Carolina is the team to beat in this entire tournament and also has the easiest path of any No. 1 seed. The Gamecocks earned it as the lone unbeaten in Division I college basketball. Don't expect much resistance for South Carolina until the Final Four. SEC compatriot Ole Miss might be the seed outside the top four to make a run. The Rebels have length, experience and a physical defense.