As the calendar approaches March 15, people across the nation will be focused on one thing, March Madness and filling out brackets. Before you start trying to figure out which teams will make it to the Final Four, consider these tips to help dominate your brackets for March Madness.

The Regular Season Can Be Overrated
When it comes to the polls, it is nice for a team to be ranked as one of the best 25 teams in the nation, but by no means is it a solid indicator of where a team truly stands.

The First Round is Susceptible to Upsets
Only 4 teams have been able to knock off the # 2 seed in the first round of the tournament. This doesn't mean you should ignore lower ranked teams because they are plenty of upsets in the tournament. The lower ranked teams that have the most success in the first round of March Madness have been the #10 through # 12 seeds.

Foresight is the Key to Success
If you see a favorable path for a particular team that will help them reach the Elite Eight, by all means select them, no matter what seed they are. Every year there are bracket busters or teams who cause havoc with the field during March Madness. Last year was the first time in the history of the tournament, all four # 1 seeds made it to the Final Four of March Madness. Do not expect the same thing to happen in 2009.

Cinderella Stories Are Meant for Bedtime
Every year college basketball fans are treated to a team that seemingly comes out of nowhere in the tournament and advances to the Sweet Sixteen, sometimes even further. That is the beauty of March Madness. The problem is they rarely have any success in the final rounds of the tournament.

*Statistics Courtesy of www.ncaa.com & AssociatedContent.com.