With the N.C.A.A. men’s basketball tournament set to start in earnest with 16 games on Friday and 16 more on Saturday, you’ve probably already consulted various hoops gurus, checked in with your friends and either filled out a bracket or entered an office pool — maybe both.
If you’re wondering what the “experts” are saying, here’s what you need to know.
On Thursday, I previewed six potential first-round upsets to watch, including two involving No. 12 seeds: Winthrop over Villanova and Georgetown over Colorado. Over all, 12th seeds are 50-90 against fifth seeds, with three wins the last time the N.