The 2011 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament kicks off at 6:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday. That’s when the first of four play-in games gets underway. This is the first time in tournament history that eight teams have a win-and-get-in chance for a bid. I like the idea, however, all of these seeds should be 16s. In this year’s case, it’s four 16s, two 12s and two 11s. How does that make sense when other higher seeds are already guaranteed a shot in the field of 64?

As I’ve told you in the past, I never tout myself as an expert when it comes to predicting who will move through the field. Most people who do wear the “expert” badge, however, usually have just as much luck as I do. We all know the 1, 2 and 3 seeds are going to get to at least the second or third rounds. From there, choose some upsets, because there’s no such thing as a perfect bracket, one where the top seeds win out.

My first couple of years, I took the bracket updating process very seriously. I would have a neon green highlighter to mark off winning selections and a neon orange for the busts. Nowadays, I stick with the old circle or cross-out method. The bracket doesn’t look as pretty at the end, but that doesn’t change my misjudgments.

The Super Bowl is the only event on the same level as the Tournament. These two Tier One events signify when the less-than-casual sports emerges from nowhere with a sudden interest athletics. But don’t write these non-basketball fans off. They’re the underdog who usually comes out on top at the end.

I’m all for knocking off the underdog.

View Scott Stanchak’s 2011 NCAA Tournament Bracket

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There are two types of people who are going to be following from the first tip-off between Florida and Brigham Young:

1) “The Employee” – This is someone with a job who is going to be sitting in front of their computer or on their phone constantly refreshing to get the latest score updates.  As soon as they see Old Dominion with a three-point lead over Notre Dame, they’ll be scanning the room to make sure it’s safe to look at their bracket.  “Did I pick O.D.,” they’ll ask themselves.

2) “The Bartender” – No, these folks won’t be standing behind a bar serving up drinks all day long – actually, some may.  Instead, they will be mainstays in front of it, downing drink after drink while devouring hot wings and jalapeno poppers.  These individuals will live or die by each game, because others around them will be cheering either with them or against.  No high fives for picking a number-one seed to go through in the first round though.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not too great at picking these games.  Most of it is luck anyways, so maybe that just means I’ve had a bit of misfortune.  That doesn’t stop me from trying my hand with the rest of the country.

You see, I’ll be both “The Employee” and “The Bartender” over the next few days, and I can’t wait.

View Scott Stanchak’s 2010 NCAA Tournament Bracket

Note: As someone pointed out, my bracket has Kentucky written in as the overall winner, but Kansas scoring 74 points to Kentucky’s 71 in the final.  I should have written Kansas in as the winner.

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I fill out a bracket just like the rest of you. The difference is that I don’t agonize over the 8-9 games, or even the 7-10s. I go with my gut. That’s what the lunch lady at my former high school did and she took home the crown in 1998.

Common sense tells me to pick all the 1 and 2 seeds. After that, it’s game on.

Now, I’m not naive. I’d love to pick Cal St. Northridge, Binghamton or Stephen F. Austin (Who? Where?) to go all Cinderella on us, but I don’t have it in me. I can remember when Gonzaga and Valparaiso were nobodies and look at them now — well, not this year for that Indiana town.

It’s just as hard notto pick UCONN or Pittsburgh. But, since I’m writing this before I fill out my bracket, I have no clue if they’ll make it to Detroit on April 6. I don’t need my bracket to tell you any team with less than 20 wins won’t be there though.

So to all of you NCAA enthusiasts – and those lunch-lady-type fans — enjoy the games and your bracket – most of you will end up tearing it up by Thursday night.

Click here to view my completed bracket

Note: I’ll be updating you on my progress throughout the tournament. Keep checking back.

Round 1, Day 1 Recap:I’m not proud of going 10-6 during the first day of the tournament. That will win you very few pools. I am happy to report, however, that none of my losses were predicted to advance past the second round. UCONN, Duke, North Carolina, Memphis and Oklahoma were all guaranteed wins. Sure, Memphis put a scare into everyone for a short while, but so did Gonzaga, and I have both those teams going to my Final Four. Purdue, Washington, Texas and Villanova all gave me wins. Butler, Illinois, Clemson, BYU, VCU and California all gave me loses. You try to call the upset and it just backfires.

Round 1, Day 2 Recap: I’m attending a wake this morning, for Wake Forest. One of my Final Four teams is out after an upset loss to Cleveland State Friday night. The score wasn’t even close.  I also failed on West Virginia, who lost to Dayton, and I had them going to the Elite 8.  I can’t be more disappointed that the tournament just got underway and I already have nothing to look forward to in the Midwest Bracket.

Elsewhere, Siena, Arizona, USC and Wisconsin pulled out big upset wins for me. I’m proud to have gotten those right, especially with Wisconsin and Arizona being a 12 seed. I have Wisconsin beating Xavier and Arizona losing to Wake, which won’t happen anymore, in the Second Round. Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Louisville were no surprises. Pitt, however, did give me and about 94 percent of Pick ‘Em Nation a scare when they were tied with East Tennessee State with about two minutes to go. I also won with Kansas and Missouri, but lost with Tennessee, Temple and Utah St., who I had going on to the Sweet 16.

Round 2, Day 1: I’m calling this portion of the tournament a complete success on my part.  I made every right pick and couldn’t be prouder.  UCONN, Purdue, Memphis, Villanova, Duke, North Carolina, Gonzaga and Oklahoma all advanced on my bracket and in real life.  Sure, they’re all top seeds, but I’m not going to find a down note about this one bit.  Plus, knowing Gonzaga and Memphis had very good games gives me great hope that I’ll see them in the Final Four as I predicted.

Round 2, Day 2: Another good day in the Bracket Pool.  As of Sunday night, I’m 12-for-16 in Sweet 16 selections — not too bad, right?  My numbers were helped today by victories from Lousiville, Michigan St., Syracuse and Pittsburgh.  A Wisconsin loss to Xavier was the only downside; however, I had Pitt beating them to advance to the Elite Eight.

Sweet 16, Day 1: That about does it for my bracket.  No, actually, that does it for my bracket.  Duke and Memphis both lost, meaning my two teams I had slated for the National Championship are officially out.  The only thing I’m not disappointed in is not losing money in a pool.  Thank goodness.  The only game I did win was UCONN over Perdue.  There’s one positive.

Sweet 16, Day 2: I was happy to see Pittsburgh move on to the Elite 8, which I correctly predicted.  They’ll be going up against Villanova, who I had losing to Duke on Day 1.  Since my pick was Duke in that contest, I am officially done in the East part of my bracket.  In the South, I was 1-for-2 on Friday night.  Gonzaga fell to North Carolina and Oklahoma easily moved past Syracuse.  I picked Gonzaga over Oklahoma so I am also done in the South.  I am proud of how I did in this region though, as I correctly predicted all four Sweet 16 teams.

Elite 8, Finals: I no longer have any of my teams moving on past this round.  It was fun while it lasted.

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The Florida town is playing host to the 2008 NCAA Woman’s Basketball Final Four and Championship games.  So, while the men got stuck in sultry San Antonio, the women could at least cool off at the beach — at least that’s what I did.

I spent Thursday through Sunday in Tampa for the event and was extremely impressed with how well prepared the town was.  Signs decorated the roadways and the grass was groomed to perfection.  Having been there once before, I’m proud to announce that this place is cleaner than your grandma’s kitchen.

The St. Pete Times Forum sits along the channel that runs through the town.   It was decorated with huge, colorful banners and lit up with beautiful lights for the event.

Parking, you ask? No problem.  The only thing you have to worry about is how much you want to pay $5 or $10.  Not bad at all considering you have to pay $15 to park in Newark, NJ.

Outside the arena there’s plenty of good bars, but they were never packed enough where you had to wait to get inside.  In fact, the area surrounding the Forum was deserted during the two Final Four games, even famed Lightning winger Dave Andreychuk’s restaurant.  If you weren’t inside the Forum, you certainly weren’t watching it from a bar stool within a mile radius.

Thousands of players, coaches and fans took to Tampa for the three games.  Walking through the lobby at the “official” hotel of the tournament, several big-time coaches sat and watched North Carolina get blown out.  Some cheered, some booed, all drank.

Tomorrow, Stanford takes on Tennessee for the title and I’d have to throw my pick behind Stanford.  I love the way Stanford’s future WNBA lottery pick Candice Wiggins plays.  Heck, her tools are so refined, she could be an NBA lottery pick.

Tennessee barely beat UConn with an almost-healthy Candice Parker.  How are the Lady Vols going to get by a Stanford team that has played four more games than them this year and don’t even look winded?

The Prediction: Stanford 80, Tennessee 74

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