Check out Marcus' bracket above, with 16 tough decisions numbered, and follow along.
1. My daughter and everyone else is going with the most popular 5-12 upset: Middle Tennessee over the Gophers. The rationale seems to be Middle Tennessee beating Michigan State in the 2-15 matchup last year. Sure, at least two 12 seeds have won first-round games four of the past five years, but only four times in NCAA tournament history has a double-digit seed repeated an upset the following year. Advantage: Gophers.
2. Daddy's girl fell in love with the 15-2 upsets, picking both North Dakota over Arizona and Northern Kentucky to take out in-state powerhouse Kentucky. Only once has two 15 seeds won in the same year, when Lehigh upset Duke and Norfolk State beat Missouri in 2012. What did those teams have in common? A future NBA player: Lehigh's C.J. McCollum (Trail Blazers) and Norfolk State's Kyle O'Quinn (Knicks). No such talent among 15 seeds this year.
3. In a dance off, pick Miami's Jim "Whip Nae Nae" Larranaga over Michigan State's Tom Izzo. On the court, we're doing the same: the battle-tested Hurricanes over the young Spartans.
4. The hottest mid-major coaching name right now? That would be Kevin Keatts of North Carolina-Wilmington. Keatts, a former Louisville assistant under Rick Pitino, could be the next Cinderella team coach, guiding an offense that ranks 18th nationally in efficiency.
5. Purdue will make it two years in a row that the Big Ten's highest-seeded team loses in the first two rounds. Iowa State can't overlook Nevada, but the Cyclones' guards won't fear Purdue's backcourt in Round 2. Monte Morris, one of the game's best leaders, should take Boilermakers freshman Carsen Edwards to school.
6. Arizona is 13-2 since Allonzo Trier returned Jan. 21 in a victory over UCLA. Trier is averaging 22.1 points in his last seven games, which included 23 points to win the Pac 12 tournament final and MVP honors. Put 'em in the Final Four.
7. If there's one Badgers hater at home, it's my son, who never hesitates to sing, "When you say Wisconsin, you say it's the worst team of all." But he showed his mama's boy side (my wife is a Badger) in his bracket, putting Wisconsin in the Final Four. He was onto something — but not quite that far for me. Yes, their seniors have played in two Final Fours, which is why I see the Badgers proving their No. 8 seed was too low by knocking off No. 1 overall Villanova. But the Elite Eight is the farthest any Big Ten will go this year.