Breaking down the Digital Marketing NCAA Bracket

So here we are, on the cusp of the REAL selection shows. Just in time, I wanted to summarize some of the findings I have. First, here's the full rundown of the 2011 Digital Marketing NCAA Bracket!

Which Conference is the Deepest?

Let's take a look at the list, by conference:

9 Big East

6 Big 12

5 ACC

5 Big Ten

5 SEC

3 MAC

3 MWC

3 Pac-10

3 Sun Belt

2 Atlantic 10

2 Horizon

2 MVC

2 WCC

So the 6 BCS Conferences garnered a total of 33 of the 68 bids. 8 at-large bids went to the smaller guys.

When you look at the top 16 teams in the tourney, the breakdown is as follows:

4 Big 12 (1-Kansas, 2- Kansas St, 3- Nebraska, 4- Texas A&M)

3 SEC (1-Kentucky, 2- Florida, 4- Alabama)

3 Big 10 (2- Illinois, 3- Penn St, 4- Michigan St)

2 Pac 10 (1- Stanford, 3- Washington)

1 ACC (1- Duke)

1 America East (2- Boston U)

1 Big East (3- Marquette)

1 MWC (4- TCU)

When you add in the fact that the other Big 12 teams to crack the field were 5-seeded Oklahoma and 6-seeded Baylor, you get a feel for the dominance of this league. Compare this against the Big East, who had only 3 of their 9 bids (3-seeded Marquette, 5-seeded USF, and 8-seeded Villanova) among the top 8 seeds.

Who were the biggest surprises?

Four teams dramatically exceeded expectations for me: Boston University as a 2-seed, Penn State (3-seed), Dayton (6-seed), and North Texas (7-seed).

Who did you have higher hopes for?

I expected more, due to recent success, from North Carolina (14-seed) and Butler (15-seed). Both have played for the title in the past few years, both have the opportunity to tell their brand story.

What's the toughest Region? Or, put differently, which 1-seed has the toughest road to the Final Four?

Let's start by laying out the top 4 seeds, by region:

W: Stanford, Florida, Penn St, Texas A&M

E: Duke, Boston, Nebraska, Michigan State

SW: Kansas, Kansas State, Washington, TCU

SE: Kentucky, Illinois, Marquette, Alabama

The E Region is loaded. Duke would need to square off against arguably the toughest 3-seed (Nebraska) and 4-seed (Michigan State). They also must matchup against one of the most active coaches in terms of access (2-seed Boston).

Is there a 12-5 Upset Game? I seeded this so I wouldn't pick it. But there's always an upset... Keep your eye on 12-seeded St Francis (PA) as they try to elevate Social to a level that could knock someone (in this case USF) off.

What's Next?

Later this week I'll complete the REAL bracket, based on social media. Note I don't advise that method to fill out your pool... But it'll be fun to follow. Then I'll take some time off for the tourney, and be back at you with a whole new approach in April.

Thanks for reading. Don't forget to follow me on Twitter (@pawlow34) or Facebook (Digital Hoops Blast).

Andy