It’s the time of the year when all of those people who have never watched a single game of college basketball come out of hiding and get the chance to show off their “knowledge” of the field.

That’s right: it’s March Madness time. And that means all across campus students are going to be picking their brackets, either for bragging rights or cash.

In lieu of the tournament’s 64-team field getting underway tomorrow, here are some tips for picking your bracket:

Conference power matters. When you’re looking to find an upset in the first couple of rounds, don’t always go for the homerun with some school from a conference you’ve never heard of.

Sure, there might be a Cornell or Davidson, but I suggest instead taking a team who finished in the middle of one of the power conferences. They will have the important underdog card and will be battle tested and true from the regular season.

Be careful with common upset picks. A lot of people look at their brackets and think, “I know at least one or two #12 seeds will beat a #5, so I better pick two #12s.” Don’t just blindly take a number twelve, basing it on this pattern. In most cases, people will automatically pick whichever #12 school is most familiar to them. Remember that while one will likely pull off the upset, it’s tough to know which one that will be. Either do a little research or even play it safe and stick to the fives.

Don’t let personal feelings for teams get in the way of making a good pick. A lot of people hate the big schools like Duke (I know I do) for no real reason, and a lot of people then let those feelings affect their bracket. I know you want to allow your #10 sleeper to take UNC out in the second round, but chances are, it’s not going to happen. Hate these teams from the couch, not on your bracket.

Hopefully these tips can help you become king or queen of your pool. Enjoy the madness and good luck in your brackets!