Printable NCAA Tournament Bracket 2016: Easy-to-Print Sheet with Tournament Tips

Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

NCAA tournament time is here, and college hoops fans are looking for every edge they can get in their bracket pools now that the days leading up to the opening round will be filled with data consumption and trend analyses.

Whether that means taking bold risks and trying to go where few other bracket competitors dare or outsmarting the competition by playing historic odds, there are myriad routes that daring bracket scribes can take to try to capture championship status.

But before breaking down tactics that could help thrust you into first place, here's a look at the complete 2016 NCAA men's basketball tournament bracket:

Trends and Tips

Keith Srakocic/Associated Press

We'll start with the No. 1 seeds, since they tend to be the most divisive.

There's always a temptation to go with the chalk and play it simple, but as Yahoo Sports' Brad Evans ^[1] noted, that's not always the most prudent decision. According to Evans, just over 41 percent of No. 1 seeds have advanced to the Final Four since 1985.

And considering the 2015-16 regular season was madness in terms of the instability that consumed the nation's top teams, this may be the year to stray away from No. 1 seeds.

Picking one is generally a solid play, but 2016 could prove to be a year that sees several No. 1 seeds bow out early if the last few months have been any indication.

Here's some more food for thought: The last time all four No. 1 seeds failed to qualify for the Final Four was in 2011 ^[2], when Connecticut, Butler, Kentucky and VCU wreaked havoc on brackets everywhere. Before that, the last time it had happened was in 2006.

In other words, there's an unscientific five-year pattern that's come into play over the past 10 years when it comes to No. 1 seeds failing to make the Final Four. It's hardly ironclad logic, but it's worth considering.

From there, we progress to the most divisive first-round showdowns: the No. 12 seeds vs. the No. 5 seeds.

According to Evans, No. 12 seeds have recorded a winning percentage of 35.4 in the first round dating back to 1985, which is better than the mark No. 11 seeds have posted in first-round showdowns with No. 6 seeds (34.6).

But here's where things get interesting: According to a historic statistical analysis performed by NCAA.com's Mike Benzie, "The No. 12 seed wins 12 percent more than we typically pick."^[5]

Finally, it's important not to get cute when picking a champion. While it's hardly unprecedented for a Final Four not to feature a No. 1 seed, only one team (No. 7 UConn in 2014) that wasn't a top-three seed has been crowned the champion since 2001.

So while it's fine to be bold and opt for a Final Four that doesn't feature one of the bracket's No. 1 seeds, trying to pick a deep-sleeper champion isn't a technique worth trying.

Rather, try to pinpoint a handful of No. 2 or No. 3 seeds that are flying under the radar as hype begins to build with bracket season in full swing.

Sign up and play Bleacher Report's Bracket Challenge ^[6] now for a chance to win the Ultimate Sports Trip to four events of your choice. And click here for B/R's Printable Bracket ^[7].