The Big East and Big Ten champs will collide in Phoenix on Thursday night for the second of the Sweet 16 encounters, and we are set to make our Michigan State Spartans vs. Louisville Cardinals picks for the second game on tap.

2012 Sweet 16 Matchup: #4 Louisville Cardinals vs. #1 Michigan State Spartans
West Region Location: US Airways Center, Phoenix, AZ
Sweet 16 Date/Time: Thursday, March 22nd, 7:45 p.m.
Wisconsin vs. Syracuse Television Coverage: TBS

Key #1: Someone needs to stop Draymond Green
Simply put, Green is a monster. He is capable of going off for a triple-double every single time that he steps on the court, just as he did against the Long Island Blackbirds in the first game of this tournament. This is a man that personifies Michigan State basketball. He just does everything that needs to be done to put his team in a position to win games. Green averaged 16.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game this year, and we are really struggling to find someone that can really guard him in this Louisville lineup. We tend to think that Gorgui Dieng is going to be too slow to keep up with the shifty forward, and pretty much anyone else that tries to guard Green is going to be a bit undersized. It really isn’t a comfortable position for the Cards to be in, but it is a situation that the rest of the teams in the Big Ten have been dealing with for the last four years. Green is the one guy on the court on either side that can win this game by himself.

Sweet 16 Odds at Wager Web Sportsbook
Louisville Cardinals +5
Michigan State Spartans -5
Over/Under 125
Click Here to Bet Your Sweet 16 Picks!

Key #2: Louisville can’t lose its cool down the stretch
We have seen the Cardinals play two very close games here in the dance, and there were a number of tight encounters in the Big East Tournament as well. This is a team that really has to be careful though, as it doesn’t have the greatest history in the close games here in the dance. Just look at what the Morehead State Eagles were able to do to the Cardinals last year. It is clear that this is going to be a close game throughout in all likelihood, and the pressure can’t get to this Louisville team. We know that Michigan State has won some tight contests both at home and on the road this year, and with Green on the court, there is going to be no shortage of confidence and leadership on the Michigan State sidelines. Someone has to do that as well for Louisville in what amounts to probably be its toughest game of the year.

Key #3: Foul shooting can’t be the death for either of these teams
The winner of this game might be the team that ends up shooting the ball better from the charity stripe. It really isn’t often that a team can make a deep run in the dance without being a decent foul shooting team, and we know that neither of these squads meet that mold. The Cardinals only shoot 68.7 percent from the line as a team, while the Spartans are just at 69.5 percent. There isn’t a foul shooter on MSU’s roster that shot 80 percent, but we do know that both Green and Keith Appling are going to likely knock down the clutch shots when it is really needed. Kyle Kuric, Russ Smith, and Chris Smith are all at least 75 percent free throw shooters, but if they get into foul trouble themselves and don’t have the ball in their hands, the rest of this Louisville team is absolutely atrocious on free throws.

Click Here to get the best March Madness picks that you’ll find on the internet, including our NCAA Tournament picks and the Sweet 16 picks for the rest of the NCAA Tournament game odds.

Our Sweet 16 predictions kick off on Thursday night in the East Region, where the Syracuse Orange and the Wisconsin Badgers duke it out for the right to go to the Elite 8. Check out our Syracuse vs. Wisconsin keys to the game!

2012 Sweet 16 Matchup: #4 Wisconsin Badgers vs. #1 Syracuse Orange
East Region Location: TD Garden, Boston, MA
Sweet 16 Date/Time: Thursday, March 22nd, 7:15 p.m.
Wisconsin vs. Syracuse Television Coverage: CBS

Key #1: The Badgers have to keep the pace of this game down
We know that Syracuse isn’t going to be all that interested in running this game into the 70s against the Badgers, but it knows that it is going to want to try to get into offensive sets in a hurry to try to avoid settling in against that ferocious Wisconsin defense. These Badgers are simply awesome in transition defense, and there are very few cheap baskets that they allow. The Orange shoot the ball well at 46.6 percent from the floor, but this is a Wisconsin ‘D’ that is holding teams down to just 52.9 points per game and 38.5 percent shooting from the field and 28.8 percent from beyond the arc. The pace has to stay slow though, as the Badgers don’t have the offense to be able to put up 70-75 points against this stout defense, so it is imperative to try to limit the number of possessions in this game.

Sweet 16 Odds at Wager Web Sportsbook
Wisconsin Badgers +3.5
Syracuse Orange -3.5
Over/Under 120.5
Click Here to Bet Your Sweet 16 Picks!

Key #2: The Badgers can’t get three point happy
Syracuse has a great perimeter defense, and the way that it is eventually probably going to get beaten in this tournament is by a team that is able to pound the paint and the heart of that patented 2-3 zone, where Fab Melo is no longer standing due to his eligibility concerns. In the dance, Wisconsin has already jacked up a whopping 52 three-point shots, and that just isn’t going to be good enough against a team like this in all likelihood. The Orange have lanky defenders that can really be a pain to the Badgers who are trying to pick up points three at a time instead of two. Sure, if those shots are falling, it’s fantastic. However, it’s really hard against the 2-3 zone to shake loose and get open looks at threes, and if the Badgers just start chucking up contested long range shots, they’re going to get embarrassed in this clash.

Key #3: Syracuse has to keep the Wisconsin bigs off of the glass
We know that Wisconsin is going to take a lot of those long range shots that we mentioned before, and if Head Coach Jim Boeheim has to have a concern, it is about how his team hits the glass. The Kansas State Wildcats had a whopping 22 offensive rebounds against the Orange in the Round of 32, and though the game did end up with a bit of a lopsided score, there has to be a concern that KSU was able to get up 22 more shots than Syracuse did. Without Melo there to clean up the glass, there just aren’t that many players that have the ability to be dynamos on the boards, and if the Badgers are getting second chance buckets, they are going to be able to pull off the upset.

Click Here to get the best March Madness picks that you’ll find on the internet, including our NCAA Tournament picks and the Sweet 16 picks for the rest of the NCAA Tournament game odds.

Bankroll Sports is back again, making your lives as sports bettors and basketball fans easier, with our list of Free NCAA Sweet 16 Contests. Just as we did at the beginning of the NCAA Tournament, listing all of the free bracket contests on the web, we decided to put together a new list. This new list below lists all the second chance NCAA Tournament contests and Sweet 16 bracket contests for 2012. Make sure to be sure bookmark this list of free contests and make sure to check back often. We will be adding more contests to the list as we discover them. Again, take a look at our list below. If you know of any free NCAA sweet 16 contests or NCAA second chance contests, make sure to leave a comment and post a link to the contest so that we can add it to the list. Again, we at Bankroll Sports Handicapping, look after and take care of our visitors & clients. We make sure that our blog has the most useful content and information for our visitors. Our handicappers have had an outstanding streak of 10* releases in the first two full rounds of the NCAA Tournament. If you are struggling with your NCAA Tournament betting this year, and if you are looking for a good service that can help you turn things around, look no further. Thanks for visiting Bankroll Sports Picks!

Complete List of Free 2012 Sweet 16 Bracket Contests

Again, make sure to come back and check this list during week (updated often); Bookmark This Page (Internet Explorer Only) & Check back on Monday after the first weekend throughout the week up until the start of the Sweet 16 on Thursday, March 22nd, 2012!

Attention Bloggers & Other Site Owners: Please Do Not Copy & Paste This List. Do The Work Yourself!

• Yahoo! Sports
  1st Place: $5,000
  2nd Place Prizes: None
  Contest Grade: B
  2012 Sweet 16 Bracket Contest Link
• Cappersinfo.com
  1st Place: Logitech Harmony One Universal Remote
  2nd Place Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card
  Contest Grade: B+
  2012 Round Sweet 16 Contest Link
• CBS Sports Line
  1st Place: Chance To Win Trip To 2013 Final Four (Every round has a winner)
  2nd Place Prize: None
  Contest Grade: C-
  2012 Round By Round Bracket Contest Link
• Buffalo Trace Saloon
  1st Place: $3000 or Ultimate Trip to Kentucky Trace Distillary
  2nd Place Prize: None
  Contest Grade: B
  2012 Sweet 16 Bracket Contest Link

Have you spotted any free Sweet 16 contests or any second chance bracket contests latetly? If you have, then please reply to this post and give us a heads-up!

The NCAA Tournament continues into its second weekend starting on Thursday, and before you make your Sweet 16 picks, be sure to check out this March Madness trends and picks sheet to help you out through the big weekend on the collegiate hardwood.

Thursday, March 24th, 7:15 ET: #3 Connecticut Huskies vs. #2 San Diego State Aztecs
March Madness Odds: Connecticut -1
March Madness Trends of Note
The Huskies have covered four straight games as favorites
Connecticut is 6-0 ATS in its last six against teams with a winning percentage above .600
The Aztecs are 21-8-1 ATS in their last 30 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600

NCAA Tournament Notes
The Huskies are putting on one of the more remarkable runs that we have ever seen a team go on in the postseason, as they won seven games and covered seven spreads in a span of just 12 days against some of the best teams in the land. Kemba Walker just seems to be unconscious right now, and the argument could be made that he is the most important player left in this tournament. The Aztecs have only won two NCAA Tournament games in their history, both of which happened to be here in this tournament. SDSU will have the decided home court advantage playing in Anaheim. These two teams have never met before on the hardwood.

Thursday, March 24th, 7:27 ET: #3 BYU Cougars vs. #2 Florida Gators
March Madness Odds: Florida -3
March Madness Trends of Note
BYU is just 30-62-2 ATS in its last 94 games as an underdog
The Gators are 6-0 ATS in their last six NCAA Tournament games as favorites
Florida is 5-1-1 ATS in its last seven games following an SU victory

NCAA Tournament Notes
Could it be sweet revenge in the Sweet 16 for the Gators? Head Coach Billy Donovan hopes so, as these Cougars knocked the Gators out of the dance last season the first round in a 99-92 game that was decided in overtime. Both of these teams look remarkably similar to their forms from last season, as the only real absence from last year is Brandon Davies, who was kicked off of the BYU roster a few weeks ago. Still, the Gators have a great history here in the Sweet 16, and they are trying to make it back to their fourth Final Four in the Donovan era. BYU is just trying to prove that it belongs and that it should have been the No. 2 seed of these two teams in this region.

Thursday, March 24th, 9:45 ET: #5 Arizona Wildcats vs. #1 Duke Blue Devils
March Madness Odds: Duke -8.5
March Madness Trends of Note
The Wildcats are just 1-5 ATS in their last six games against the ACC
Duke has covered five in a row against the Pac-10
The Blue Devils are 6-2 ATS in their last eight NCAA Tournament games

NCAA Tournament Notes
The Blue Devils have all to play for right now, as they are just four steps away from retaining their National Championship, something that many didn’t give them that great of a chance to do just last week. The trick is going to be coping with the long trip out to Anaheim, as Arizona will have a decided home court edge, just as SDSU will against UConn earlier in the night. The Wildcats have now won two games thanks to the prowess of Derrick Williams in the post, and he is going to be the key, while the Dookies are going to hope that the good health of Kyrie Irving can set them apart in this one. These two last met in 2001 in the National Championship Game, and Duke knocked off the Wildcats 82-72 as short four point underdogs.

Thursday, March 24th, 9:57 ET: #8 Butler Bulldogs vs. #4 Wisconsin Badgers
March Madness Odds: Wisconsin -4.5
March Madness Trends of Note
Butler has covered six straight March Madness betting battles
Wisconsin is 5-1 ATS in its last six games played outside of the Big Ten
The Bulldogs are 21-5-2 ATS in their last 28 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600

NCAA Tournament Notes
Butler really has a great chance of pulling off the upset in this one if it can shoot the ball as well as it has in its first two games in this tournament against the Old Dominion Monarchs and Pittsburgh Panthers, especially late in games from long range. This is largely the same team that was in the finale last season that lost by a whisker, save for the fact that sharpshooter Gordon Hayward is now in the NBA. The Badgers haven’t had a great history once they reach this point in the dance, but they do have a tremendous defensive team and one that can really shoot free throws in clutch spots. If it’s a close game, Wisconsin will have the huge upper hand. Back in January 2001, Butler went into the Kohl Center and knocked off the Badgers 58-44 in the most recent meeting of these two Midwest schools.

Friday, March 25th, 7:15 ET: #11 Marquette Golden Eagles vs. #2 North Carolina Tar Heels
March Madness Odds: North Carolina -4.5
March Madness Trends of Note
The Golden Eagles are 23-11 ATS in their last 34 games against teams with a winning percentage greater than .600.
North Carolina is 10-3 ATS in its last 13 games in the NCAA Tournament
The Tar Heels are 0-4-1 ATS in their last five games overall

NCAA Tournament Notes
UNC really has had the look of an incredibly dominating team of late, as it really hasn’t played a truly remarkable game since the regular season finale against the Duke Blue Devils. Still, the Heels have a great set of bigs to work with that can get the job done on the inside (John Henson and Tyler Zeller) and on the outside (Harrison Barnes). Marquette is quickly developing into the sweetheart of this tournament, especially knowing that it has 14 losses to its credit already this season. Still, of all of the Big East teams that were in this field, this is clearly the least likely one to do any further damage and would be the most surprising team to reach the Final Four.

Friday, March 25th, 7:27 ET: #12 Richmond Spiders vs. #1 Kansas Jayhawks
March Madness Odds: Kansas -10.5
March Madness Trends of Note
The Spiders are 10-1 ATS in their last 10 games overall
Kansas is 4-0 ATS in its last four games against the Atlantic 10
The Jayhawks are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 NCAA Tournament tussles as favorites of 7.0-12.5 points

NCAA Tournament Notes
These two teams do have a history with one another, and you can bet that the Spiders will not be intimidated by going against the No. 1 seed in the Southwest Bracket. Richmond won at Allen Fieldhouse back in 2004, scoring a 69-68 triumph. Little did we know that Kansas was going to eventually roll off 69 straight wins there through this season. Still, these two teams are built totally differently, as the Spiders really need to play this game in the 60s to have success, while the Jayhawks are content to run and gun into the 70s or even into the 80s. Kansas, of course, is still working to try to erase the memory of that brutal loss in the second round last year to the Northern Iowa Panthers, and you can bet that Head Coach Bill Self will have this team ready even though Richmond is another “mid major” team.

Friday, March 25th, 9:45 ET: #4 Kentucky Wildcats vs. #1 Ohio State Buckeyes
March Madness Odds: Ohio State -5.5
March Madness Trends of Note
The Wildcats are 4-1 ATS in their last five games against the Big Ten
Ohio State is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 games following an SU win of 20 or more points
The Buckeyes are 5-11 ATS in their last 16 March Madness matches as favorites

NCAA Tournament Notes
This is one of the most intriguing games of the entire tournament to date, as this one pits one of the No. 1 seeds from last year’s tournament in Kentucky, against the No. 1 overall seed in the dance in Ohio State. The talent is there for these two to really put on a tremendous show, as both teams definitely have the full complement of big guys and sharpshooters. Either one could win a game in the 50s just as easily as it could win one in the 90s. One thing is for sure, and that’s that there certainly will be no lack of talent on display. Both of these teams have played some absolutely fantastic basketball to reach this point, and you can bet that both will want to put their best foot forward to get into the Elite 8.

Friday, March 25th, 9:57 ET: #11 VCU Rams vs. #10 Florida State Seminoles
March Madness Odds: Florida State -3.5
March Madness Trends of Note
The Rams are a perfect 7-0 ATS in their last seven games in the NCAA Tournament
VCU is 5-1 ATS in its last six games against ACC opponents
Florida State is 2-6 ATS in its last eight neutral site games as a favorite

NCAA Tournament Notes
This is certainly the most unlikely of the eight matchups in the Sweet 16, as it isn’t all that often that we see a pair of double digit seeds pitted against each other, especially this late on. The Rams are the Cinderella stories for sure, as they had to come out of the First Four to reach this point. They’ve done so with great shooting from the outside and a tenacious full court defense, and the Georgetown Hoyas and Purdue Boilermakers haven’t even stayed remotely close to them. As a result, Head Coach Shaka Smart, who is suddenly the hottest young coaching commodity out there, has his team in the Sweet 16 for the first time Florida State had never won an NCAA Tournament game under Head Coach Leonard Hamilton before this year. This is its first trip to the Sweet 16 since 1998 when it was ironically also a double digit seed. Chris Singleton is hoping to be able to make full contributions for the Seminoles this week after playing limited minutes in the first two rounds of the dance. FSU’s defense has been second to none in this tournament, as the Texas A&M Aggies and Notre Dame Fighting Irish just had no chance of getting around this very athletic team.

March Madness picks kick off on Tuesday with the first round of games in Dayton, OH. Today, we analyze the odds to win the Southwest Region and all of the March Madness betting lines for the big event!

The team that maybe should have been the No. 1 overall seed in this tournament was the Kansas Jayhawks (2 to 1 Odds to Win Southwest Region at BetUS Sportsbook). This is an NCAA Tournament about redemption for Rock Chalk after last year’s debacle and embarrassment of getting knocked out in the second round of the dance. Marcus Morris and Markieff Morris are arguably the best duo of inside players in the entire nation, and in a bracket that could be very shallow and narrow, this is a dangerous, dangerous team.

There really aren’t many teams outside of the box of the top seeds that can probably win this bracket. Before this season started, the Purdue Boilermakers (5 to 1 NCAA Tournament Odds at BetUS Sportsbook) would have been one of the favorites for the Final Four. We know that Robbie Hummel isn’t here anymore after tearing his ACL, but JaJuan Johnson and E’Twaun Moore are still two of the best players in this entire bracket. Don’t be surprised if one of the preseason favorites turns out to ultimately be one of the last teams standing in the Elite 8, or maybe even the Final Four.

If there’s a team that can go on a roll, it is the Georgetown Hoyas (30 to 1 March Madness odds at BetUS Sportsbook). The Hoyas would be in great shape this season if they had Chris Wright, but he has been out of the lineup for the last few weeks. Georgetown’s issue here though, is that it limps into the NCAA Tournament off of four straight losses. Still, Julian Wright, Austin Freeman, and company have the complete package of players, and this crew really can catch fire in a hurry and do a ton of damage.

2011 Southwest Region Odds @ BetUS Sportsbook (as of 3/13/11):
(Get a HUGE 100% Bonus at BetUS.com When Using This Link)
Kansas Jayhawks 2 to 1
Notre Dame Fighting Irish 4 to 1
Purdue Boilermakers 5 to 1
Louisville Cardinals 5 to 1
Vanderbilt Commodores 35 to 1
Georgetown Hoyas 30 to 1
Texas A&M Aggies 80 to 1
UNLV Runnin’ Rebels 30 to 1
Illinois Fighting Illini 30 to 1
Florida State Seminoles 80 to 1
USC Trojans 100 to 1
VCU Rams 150 to 1
Richmond Spiders 100 to 1
Morehead State Eagles 150 to 1
St. Peter’s Peacocks 150 to 1
Akron Zips 200 to 1
Boston U Terriers 200 to 1

Exclusive 100% Sportsbook Bonus @ BetUS Courtesy of Bankroll Sports!
New BetUS Players Only: Must Mention Bankroll Sports at BetUS & Use This Link!
(Must Use Above Links – $100 Min. / $500 Max. – 50% Additional Bonus For Deposits Over $500)

March Madness picks kick off on Tuesday with the first round of games in Dayton, OH. Today, we analyze the odds to win the Southeast Region and all of the March Madness betting lines for the big event!

Haven’t we seen this story somewhere before? The Pittsburgh Panthers (2.50 to 1 Odds to Win Southeast Region at BetUS Sportsbook) end up as a really high seed in the NCAA Tournament, they rough it through a few early games, and then get beaten in a squeaker by another fantastic team. Get used to that story. That’s probably how this one will end up playing out again this season.

If you’re looking for the team with all of the experience in the Southeast Region, you go with the Florida Gators (4 to 1 NCAA Tournament Odds at BetUS Sportsbook). The blue and orange have all five of their starters back from last year’s team. There are a lot of past demons for this team to conquer in this bracket, including the team that beat it last year (BYU), the one that it beat for the National Championship a few years back (UCLA), and the one that once beat it for a title (Michigan State) though, so this is going to be a harsh road to Houston.

Ah, those tricky BYU Cougars (8 to 1 March Madness odds at BetUS Sportsbook)… Almost for certain, in the exact same season without getting Brandon Davies kicked off the team, the Cougs would have been a No. 2 seed (and Florida probably would’ve been the 3). However, the Selection Committee just didn’t buy into how good this team is. Well excuse us! All the Cougars have done this year is getting beaten by another No. 2 seed (San Diego State) and twice by the New Mexico Lobos, a solid team in their own right. Jimmer Fredette is the nation’s leading scorer, and he could easily end up dropping 40, or heck, even 50 on a team if the opponents aren’t careful.

The Kansas State Wildcats (12 to 1 Southeast Region Odds at BetUS Sportsbook) could be sneaky if Jacob Pullen gets going, though. Sure, the Cats are in that dreaded No. 5 hole, but this is a team that has already proven it can play with the best teams in the land, and Pullen can shoot the rock from just about anywhere on the court.

2011 Southeast Region Odds @ BetUS Sportsbook (as of 3/13/11):
(Get a HUGE 100% Bonus at BetUS.com When Using This Link)
Pittsburgh Panthers 2.50 to 1
Florida Gators 4 to 1
BYU Cougars 8 to 1
Wisconsin Badgers 9 to 1
Kansas State Wildcats 12 to 1
St. John’s Red Storm 14 to 1
UCLA Bruins 40 to 1
Butler Bulldogs 70 to 1
Old Dominion Monarchs 45 to 1
Michigan State Spartans 28 to 1
Gonzaga Bulldogs 20 to 1
Utah State Aggies 20 to 1
Belmont Bruins 60 to 1
Wofford Terriers 150 to 1
UC Santa Barbara Gauchos 150 to 1
UNC Asheville Bulldogs 300 to 1
Arkansas Little Rock Trojans 300 to 1

(Printable March Madness Brackets; PDF – GIF) If you’re looking for the best March Madness bracket tips, you’ve certainly come to the right place! Here at Bankroll Sports, we’ve got all of the ins and outs covered for the hot tips that you need to look out for to make your bracket a winning one.

**Click Here For Free March Madness Bracket Contests**

The first and most obvious thing to remember when you are filling out your brackets is that there are going to be upsets. There will be at least one No. 12 beat a No. 5, and there will probably be at least one No. 13 or higher that takes down a Top 25 foe. Tens knocking off sevens are commonplace, and they’re even favored from time to time on the March Madness odds. Simply just trying to fill in chalk along the way probably isn’t going to win you too many NCAA Tournament bracket contests.

But how do you pick out those upsets? Look for some teams that have legitimate stars. The Wofford Terriers, the winners of the Southern Conference have a huge man in the paint they rely on named Noah Dahlman. Sure, Dahlman wouldn’t be expected to average 20.0 points per game over a 30 game schedule in the Big East, but players like this find ways to lead their teams in single games. Seeing a man like Dahlman going up against an undersized team could be just the mismatch that you’re looking for.

You also have to consider home court advantage. The Duke Blue Devils and North Carolina Tar Heels are most likely going to be playing their first two games in Charlotte, NC. Needless to say, the Cameron Crazies are going to be out en masse, and any potential “neutral court advantage” that the little guys could be getting would be swallowed up by the ACC fans on Tobacco Road. This will happen all across the country, so be sure to look out.

In events where there is no home court advantage, fans generally want to see upsets. That means that No. 13 seeds that are on runs are going to sway the crowd on their side until they are finally squashed… unless they can withstand that pressure from the big boys… the deeper into the game the mid majors hang around, the more and more dangerous that they become.

Also, you have to remember that three point field goals are incredibly important. They’re the great equalizer for a lack of talent. Teams that can stroke three balls like none other tend to stick around longer in this tournament than most. Just look at the Cornell Big Red last season, as the Ivy League champs shot over 40 percent from beyond the arc for the season. Other times, it doesn’t take a full team, just a player or two. Case in point, Ali Farokhmanesh from last season with the Northern Iowa Panthers. He single handedly dragged down the top team in the country, the Kansas Jayhawks.

Though we all love Cinderella stories, we know that more often than not, when it comes down to the Final Four, you’re going to see the big time teams floating around. The way you pick those teams out is really simple. You need to find deep teams with at least 1-2 superstars that can take over games. However, be forewarned that a man like Kemba Walker for the Connecticut Huskies probably isn’t dominating the entire NCAA Tournament. A game or two, ok. But not the whole way. Well rounded teams with a star or two tend to do a heck of a lot better, just like the Duke Blue Devils did last season with Nolan Smith, Kyle Singler, and Jon Scheyer.

And that brings us to our final March Madness tip. We absolutely love teams with experience in this tournament. The Florida Gators have five returning starters. The Blue Devils have back two of their three studs from last year’s title team. The Butler Bulldogs are bringing back most of the team that was in the finale last season. The Michigan State Spartans, even though they have had a terrible year, have a ton of pieces from the puzzle from the Final Four team of two years ago…

Just keep these NCAA Tournament bracket tips in mind, and you’ll be sure to clean up in your 2011 NCAA Tournament free bracket contests this year!