WCCO This Morning's Secret Bracket Strategies Revealed
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Tipoff for March Madness begins Thursday morning, and a lot of teams are hoping for their "one shining moment."
But so are a lot of people playing brackets with office-mates, friends and our own WCCO audience. (Pssst, if you haven't signed up just yet, there's still a little bit of time to play our Bracket Challenge.)
Ali Lucia put our WCCO Morning Team to the test to see who they picked to win it all.
Jason DeRusha: Wisconsin
DeRusha enlisted his 7-year-old son, Sammy, for all his picks. Among the other games Sam recommended to Jason, he also picked #11 Texas to upset #6 Butler.
Jamie Yuccas: Wisconsin
Since she can't cheer for the gophers, Jamie is going with another Big Ten Team -- Wisconsin. Jamie makes her picks by these two criteria: anywhere she likes to travel, or anywhere she knows family.
Matt Brickman: Kentucky
"I take this thing way too seriously, so I am pretty much guaranteed to lose by a wide margin," Matt said after filling out his bracket. Matt's Sleeper Teams: Stephen F. Austin and Eastern Washington.
Kim Johnson: Kentucky
Kim left it all to a little chance and a little research, really just like everyone else. Her tricks to making her picks include coin flipping, Twitter questions, or closing her eyes and pointing at her bracket.
Ashley Roberts: Kentucky
The newcomers Ashley Roberts and Ali Lucia both agreed on their top pick. Ashley's alma mater, Florida A&M University, didn't make it in the tournament, so she decided to go with the team that has been on top all season: Kentucky.
Ali Lucia: Kentucky
Ali was in North Texas last year for the Final Four. She was there when Kentucky came up just short, so she's hoping they learned their lesson.
Here's a look at the Thursday schedule of games right here on WCCO-TV:
11:15 p.m.: Notre Dame vs. Northeastern in Pittsburgh
Approx. 1:45 p.m.: Butler vs. Texas in Pittsburgh
6:10 p.m.: Cincinnati vs. Purdue in Louisville
Approx. 8:40 p.m.: Kentucky vs. Hampton in Louisville
Also, even though the Gophers aren't in the Big Dance this year, there are plenty of players who have Minnesota connections involved. Click here to see a rundown of the most notable.
Who do you have winning it all? Share your picks below and join WCCO's Bracket Challenge!