Let the games begin.
Not the NCAA Men's Tournament games, those don't start until the play-in games Tuesday.
It's Bracket Sunday, where people who couldn't name 10 players in the entire tournament somehow have a hot take Monday morning around the office coffee pot telling you which No. 13 seed is going to the Sweet 16.
I'm going to jump the gun. So without even seeing the brackets, let's get some coffee and figure this out together.
First, the bubble talk has bubbled all week. So in or out, in a purely unscientific method, here are some uneducated guesses.
• Syracuse, out.
The Orange (19-13) lost to Pittsburgh in the first round Wednesday of the ACC Tournament. They were 4-5 during a nine-game suspension for head coach Jim Boeheim by the NCAA after he broke some rules, which after employing easy math means they were 15-8 with him, including victories against Duke and Texas A&M.
But they weren't 15-8. Syracuse was 19-13. But Boeheim wants us to believe they were 15-8.
"The basketball committee is not the infractions committee," Boeheim said in a story on ESPN.com. "Their job is to pick the best teams for the tournament. These guys had nothing to do with any of this and should be evaluated on how well they played. They've been punished enough."
Unless Boeheim can invent a time machine to go back to do something novel like don't break any rules, that argument holds no weight in my eyes.
In a sidenote, with Boeheim at the helm, Syracuse won just one of its last six games.
Don't cheat, finish stronger, end of story.
• Wichita State, in.
The Shockers (24-8) have had a week to stew on their heartbreaking loss to Northern Iowa in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament title game.
And during the week, Wichita State has bounced in and out of the projected field as the Power Five conferences held their respective tournaments.
This isn't a career award, but it would be a shame if seniors Ron Baker and Fred VanFleet didn't make the tournament in their final season. And they knocked out Kansas last year, that has to count for something.
• Monmouth, in.
The Hawks (27-7) were the regular-season champions of something called the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, losing to Iona in the league tournament title game.
They've won on the road against Georgetown and UCLA, they've defeated Notre Dame and USC on a neutral court. Sure, Georgetown was no good and UCLA sunk like stone, but the Hawks won 13 of their last 15 (losing twice to Iona) to close strong.
And then there's the Monmouth bench. Do yourself a favor, hit the Google key for Monmouth bench. That's good enough for me.
• South Carolina, out.
The Gamecocks (23-8) lost to Missouri. Not piling on the Tigers here, but ...
• Valparaiso, out.
The Crusaders (24-6) were a mid-major darling all season. Good RPI, played a decent schedule, figured to be a team that could get an upset (or two) in the NCAA.
But then they lost in the Horizon League Tournament. Are they as good as the No. 8 team getting in out of the Big Ten or Big 12? Probably. But they're not getting in.
Now to the actual tournament. There's been talk all year it's a down year at the top of college basketball, there's more parity than usual, a mid-major can actually win it.
Not going to happen.
Michigan State, North Carolina, Kansas, Oregon, Xavier and Kentucky - without seeing the brackets I'll take those six teams and give you the other 62. There are at least two Final Four teams and the eventual national champion in that group.
Here's your tip, ride the familiar names to bracket glory.