It's that time of year again. You sit hunched over a sheet of paper with a pencil in your sweaty palms. You agonize over each game. All of a sudden, you realize that you really care about Butler and Coppin State.

It's March Madness, baby.

There's something pure about the college game; it's so unpredictable and exciting. Remember Jim Valvano running around the court in 1983 looking for someone to hug after his N.C. State team upset Houston? Remember Princeton shocking the nation by beating the defending champion UCLA last year?

But the unpredictability of the game is what's killing you right now. Because you have, whether the IRS likes it or not, entered a tournament pool. And you plan to take home the winnings this year.

As usual, the selection committee did a questionable job with the brackets. Minnesota (27-3) had a great season, but it is a number one seed in the Midwest with UCLA number two.

How can this happen when Kansas (32-1), the unanimous number one team in the country, has to get by Duke (23-8)? And Kentucky (29-4), the defending champion, is in a bracket with Utah (26-3) and Wake Forest (23-6).

As for teams not invited, Michigan played a tough schedule but was left in the cold Sunday along with last year's runner-up Syracuse. But there's no time for you to get all soft and sentimental. You've got to be a cold-hearted prognosticator, blind to loyalties and Cinderella Syndrome.

But before you go jumping into your pool, here's a little safety advice.

North Carolina (24-6) is red hot with a 12-game winning streak. They have peaked at the perfect time, and Dean-o knows how to win. A second-round victory would give him the all-time career Division I wins record. South Carolina (24-7) is a threat in the regional finals, but the Gamecocks' guard-oriented offense can't stop Antawn Jamison.

Kansas has the bad luck of possibly playing Duke, but the Blue Devils are on a two-game losing streak. The Jay-hawks have it all--they only lost to Missouri during the year and then got their revenge in the Big 12 championship.

Kansas has senior leadership in the backcourt (Jacque Vaughn and Jerod Haase) and a great inside game with the twin ivory towers, Scot Pollard and Raef LaFrentz. I'd go ahead and put Kansas in the space in your bracket where it says "Champion."

Kentucky, last year's champion, will have all sorts of trouble without guard Derek Anderson. However, it--thanks to star sophomore Ron Mercer--will be able to compensate until the championship game, where the Wildcats will fall to Kansas. Wake Forest's backcourt is in disarray, and Utah almost lost twice in the WAC tournament.

But the difference-making regional in your pool, the one which will determine whether you can do your already-rehearsed celebratory "Show me the money" dance, will be the Midwest.

Minnesota has quietly emerged as one of the best teams in the country. But name some of its players. You may know Peter Jacobsen, the "Jewish Jordan."

Alliteration notwithstanding, will the nameless Golden Gophers prevail? You definitely have to count off for such a lame mascot. Almost as importantly, they've had a bunch of close games recently, they're sorry on the road, and they're coming off a 66-65 loss to Wisconsin.