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NCAA tournament bracket tip sheet: Your guide to March Madness

Everything you need to know to win your office pool.
Credit: Al Bello
Gary Trent Jr. #2 of the Duke Blue Devils dribbles against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the semifinals of the ACC Men's Basketball Tournament at the Barclays Center on March 9, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

USA TODAY Sports provides a one-stop for the 2018 NCAA tournament with all the analysis and insight you'll need to win your office pool.

First off, you'll definitely need a bracket. You can print one here.

Next, make sure you create your own bracket pooland invite your friends to join our Bracket Challenge. Before we forget, let us introduce you to the 68 teams dancing this March and the No. 1 seeds: Virginia, Villanova, Kansas and Xavier.

For starters, here are some basic do's and don'ts as an easy way to fill our your bracket.

And here's some fun, fact-based tips to help you dominate your office pool.

Here’s region-by-region breakdowns that dissect each team’s strengths/weaknesses, current winning/losing streak and each team’s best player or recipe for a win.

EXPERT PICKS: Schnell | Gleeson | Mast

ANALYSIS: South | East | West | Midwest

Now that you’re on the path to office pool success, there’s so much more if you want it.

Here's the best of USA TODAY Sports' NCAA tournament coverage:

Selection Sunday

College basketball writers Lindsay Schnell and Scott Gleeson assessed the selection committee's seeding and overall message. Schnell examined how the committee gave credit to early-season November wins that ultimately helped plummeting teams like Arizona State and Oklahoma get in. Meanwhile, Gleeson (with help from bracketologist Shelby Mast) broke down five things the committee got wrong by overseeding or underseeding teams (or putting Syracuse in the field altogether).

Breaking news writer A.J. Perez chronicled the harsh reaction to the tournament selection show's new format, in which all 68 teams involved in March Madness were introduced in the first 15 minutes of the show — in alphabetical order — before actual matchups were unveiled.

March Sadness

Several deserving teams were left snubbed by the committee, including USC, Middle Tennessee and Notre Dame. Here's a look at 2018's biggest tournament omissions.

USC coach Andy Enfield wasn't happy with the committee one bit, and emotionally expressed his frustration with their decision-making.

All-America Teams

To get acquainted with the best players in the country, here's a look at USA TODAY Sports' first, second and third team All-Americans for 2017-18, as well as its national player of the year and national coach of the year selections.

Before You Leave, Check This Out