NCAA Upset Alert!!!
by Brian Diaz
The brackets are out. The seeds are determined and the match-ups set. But how to fill out your bracket? Which underdog is going to win? What if I told you I knew who was going to pull the upset?
It is really quite simple. There is an old cliché for tournaments, the number in front of your team name doesn’t matter; only the number behind your team name. Great insight, seedings are for fans and media. It gives ESPN loads of talking points. But for the players and teams involved, seeds mean nothing…or at least they should.
If a team wants to pull the upset, they must focus on what they can control…preparation, attitude, and process. On Thursday everyone is 0-0. After the first round, 32 teams will be 1-0 and heading into their second game. Everyone has the same opportunity in front of them; to play 40 minutes at a time.
So, to complete the upset, an underdog must thoroughly prepare. This preparation started in the summer. It continues by preparing for this next game the same way they did for every other match up this season. Focus on the X’s and O’s. Get the proper nutrition and rest. What do they need to do to play well? They don’t change how they prepare because of the ‘bigger stage’.
Secondly, the underdog needs to control their attitude. Tami often asks her clients, “Do you view this as an OPPORTUNITY or as a threat?” Upset-minded teams view the match up as an opportunity, not a threat. It is an opportunity to play well. It is an opportunity to play against this good program. It is an opportunity to play in a large arena. It is an opportunity to be on national TV. Choose to be positive. Play with the understanding that mistakes will happen; and that is ok. There are lots of opportunities for good plays in every game!
Finally, stick to the process. Whatever it is the team does well, keep doing it. Whatever it is the team did to get into the Dance, keep doing it. Regardless of the score, keep sticking to the process. The play the game one possession at a time. The moment an underdog tries to deviate from the process, they are beaten. They are an underdog for a reason. The reality is their best is not as good as the favorite’s best. If the underdog can’t compete playing their own way, they certainly are not going to compete playing a different way. The best chance an underdog has it to play their way as best they can.
Underdogs get overwhelmed when they focus on the seeding, arena, outnumbered fans, stature of opposing coach, or history of the opposing program. None of these are things anyone can do anything about.
While I can’t actually tell you which teams will pull the upset, I can tell you how they will have done it. They may not have the talent of their opposition, but they will have played with a more OPTIMAL ENERGY level and focused on the CONTROLLABLES.