3 Key Tips for Filling Out Your March Madness Bracket

Avoid common mistakes and improve your chances of a winning bracket this year

Mar. 15, 2026 at 12:22am

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As March Madness approaches, there are three important factors to consider when filling out your NCAA tournament bracket: prioritizing teams with strong defense, experienced backcourts, and not getting too trigger-happy with underdog picks. Experts advise focusing on teams that excel on the defensive end, have veteran point guard leadership, and avoiding the temptation to overload on high-risk upset selections, as the favorites typically advance for good reason.

Why it matters

Filling out a winning March Madness bracket requires strategic thinking beyond just picking the most exciting teams or high-profile stars. Understanding the historical trends and key factors that contribute to tournament success can give you an edge over casual fans and improve your chances of having a bracket that survives deep into the Big Dance.

The details

While electrifying offenses and NBA-bound freshmen stars often grab the headlines, teams that make deep March Madness runs typically excel on the defensive end of the floor. An above-average defense is a consistent trait of champions, as underdogs often try to slow the pace and "muck up" the game against superior opponents. Additionally, experienced backcourt leadership is crucial in the high-pressure, single-elimination tournament setting. Veteran point guards who know the offense and can handle the moment often outperform flashy freshmen scorers when the stakes are highest. Finally, it's important not to get too trigger-happy with underdog selections, as the favorites typically advance for good reason - 66% of Final Four teams since the tournament expanded have been the top-2 seeds in their region.

  • The 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament begins on March 19, 2026.

The players

Tyler Erzberger

A sports writer who covers college basketball for Newsweek.

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What they’re saying

“Defense. Defense. Defense. There are going to be a lot of electrifying offenses that catch your eye, or superstar freshmen projected to go in the lottery of the upcoming NBA Draft. You're going to want to pick a team that can explode with points, regardless of how sturdy their defense is.”

— Tyler Erzberger, Sports Writer

“While the freshmen guards are going to take a lot of the headlines, teams with veterans in the backcourt leading the way are extremely important a lot of the time when it comes to who will win a game.”

— Tyler Erzberger, Sports Writer

“66% of Final Four seeds since the tournament expanded 50 years ago have been either the best or second-best team in their region. While hitting that No. 3 or above seed you truly believe in is important and can put you over the top, remember that there's always more upsets in your head than what actually happens during the run of the tournament.”

— Tyler Erzberger, Sports Writer

What’s next

The 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament begins on March 19, 2026, with the First Four games. The first round of the tournament will take place on March 20-21, 2026.

The takeaway

Successful March Madness brackets require a strategic approach that looks beyond just the flashy teams and stars. Focusing on factors like strong defense, experienced backcourts, and avoiding overconfidence in upsets can give you a better chance of building a bracket that survives deep into the tournament.