Bracketology: March Madness, College Basketball, and the Creation of a National Obsession

by Joe Lunardi, David Smale, Mark Few (Foreword)

Lunardi delves into the early days of Bracketology, details its growth, and dispels the myths of the process 

The NCAA Tournament has become one of the most popular sports events in the country, consuming fans for weeks with the run to the Final Four and ultimately the crowning of the champion of college hoops.  Each March, millions of Americans fill out their bracket in the hopes of correctly predicting the future.

Yet, there is no true Madness without the oft-debated question about what teams should be seeded where—from the Power-5 Blue Blood with some early season stumbles on their resume to the mid-major that rampaged through their less competitive conference season—and the inventor of Bracketology himself, Joe Lunardi, now reveals the mystery and science behind the legend.  

While going in depth on his ever-evolving predictive formula, Lunardi compares great teams from different eras with intriguing results, talks to the biggest names in college basketball about their perception of Bracketology (both good and bad), and looks ahead to the future of the sport and how Bracketology will help shape the conversation. 

This fascinating book is a must-read for college hoops fans and anyone who has aspired to win their yearly office pool.

Genres: Sports, Basketball, Nonfiction

268 pages, Hardcover

First published March 2, 2021

Reviews

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, breezy read about a topic I love. Exactly what I needed on a cross-country flight home. Great for casual fans of hoops, the ones who check in for March Madness each year.

[Bryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have loved college basketball from a young age. My father instilled in me that college basketball was a more pure game than the NBA. When I was in high school I used to run a bracket challenge for the NCAA tournament. I feel that I could have been Joe Lunardi. I am now heavily into statistics professionally and when I was younger I am sure I followed college basketball more closely than Lundari. I had all day to watch games and he had a full time job. Plus I lived on the west coast so it is just way easier to catch more games on the west coast. You never have to stay up a late to catch the late games. The east coast sports media bias is real.

To the actual review. This book is fun for anyone who loves the tournament and really cares about the details. Lunardi makes a compelling case for why a team with a winning record in a mid major should be favored over a below 500 team in a major conference. He also points out that the incentives are not aligned for the best team to get to the tournament. The major conferences, who have most of the power, get more money when more of their teams get into the tournament. So, they don't want the best teams, they want their teams in the tournament.

Overall, fun read for college basketball fans.

[Patrick Reinschmidt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably more like 3.75 stars, liked the book but Joey B was feeling himself a bit too much at times

[Shane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed "Bracketology" (and bonus points that I read it the week and a half leading up to the start of the NCAA tournament). I've always followed and liked Lunardi's work, and it was fun to get a sorta behind-the-scenes look at how his methods came about and what the committee does. It's an entertaining read. I especially liked how Lunardi tries to fight for the mid-majors (and I 100% agree that you should have to have a .500 conference record to be eligible for an at-large; like Lunardi give me a 29-5 mid-major over a 17-14 major any day).
Several times Lunardi's wife makes the joke that the story of bracketology isn't a book, it's a pamphlet, and unfortunately this is correct. Even for a quick, short book this is rather stretched, with Lunardi repeating himself a few times in different places (the organization and flow definitely needed some work) and some clearly "filler" sections, like interviews with coaches about bracketology.
I don't think this will appeal to any but the most hardcore college basketball fans but it's worth a look if you are.

[Brandon Anderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. I’m just not sure why we needed this book. No one is more into brackets and bracketology than me, and I was gifted a signed copy of this book so that’s cool, but if even I’m not into this, I’m really not sure who would be.

It’s just self congratulatory and indulgent mostly. An explanation of how brackets are set up for March Madness — stuff anyone reading this surely already knows — and a little bit of Lunardi being excited he’s a big deal. There’s even an entire long chapter with just oodles of quotes from coaches and March Madness adjacent folks praising Lunardi.

This could’ve been an article or podcast.

[Dave Cottenie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light and fun look behind the scenes of Joe Lunardi’s involvement in the success that has been Bracketology. From his humble beginnings to his views on the committee and future of college basketball, Lunardi and Smale tell a smooth and interesting manner. The idea of the Lunardi Rule requiring all teams to have at least a .500 record in conference should be adapted immediately. Lunardi’s thoughts for the future for the sport are a little ominous. We will have to wait and see.

[Marilee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anyone that knows me well knows that I love college basketball and March Madness. I love to go the games in person and I love to watch them on TV. I love our bracket group that we've had for over 20 years. I've relied on Lunardi's expertise in making my picks for a while now, and it was interesting to read about the process of Bracketology, how it came about, and what coaches and analysts think of it. The book goes through a few dry sections, but overall it was an enjoyable read for me.

[Sean Carrigan · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a huge fan of the tournament, I hoped that this book might enhance my enjoyment of the process by which the teams are selected. It didn’t. Instead, the book was largely a defense of the practice of predicting how the committee selects the field and how terms like bracketologist and Joey Brackets came into our vernacular. The best part of the book is the final chapter in which Lunardi gives his considerable insight into the future of the college game loved by some many.

[Josh Trice · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun, entertaining read. I flew through it and found myself enjoying it all along the way.

However, I do wish there had been a bit more meaty discussion on the process of selection. There is some, but I feel only slightly more in the know than I did before reading. I understand that Lunardi can’t show all his cards, but even seeing just a few more would’ve been nice.

Overall, this is a great read for pre March Madness hype! If you love College Basketball, give this one a read!

[Randy Wojtasiak · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love the subject but as Lundardi’s wife is quoted, “is this really a book?” I don’t regret reading it but I wish it would have been a library checkout instead of a gift. It’s not worth owning. The material was repetitive and I did not appreciate the amount of quotes from Joe’s buddies that was used as filler.

That said I did appreciate Joe’s closing thoughts on his vision on the future of the tournament.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read to use for tournament prep. It was quick and light. I didn't really notice the filler, but after reading some of the other reviews, there definitely was some. I believe I didn't notice the filler since I listened to the audiobook, so I'd recommend that. It reads like a formal podcast, so it doesn't require a ton of attention.

[T.Jon Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read!

If you are a college basketball fan, this is a must read! Those of us of a certain age will enjoy reliving March Madness history as much as the inside look of the art of Bracketology!

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

JOE!

My man! Great read! Many a great insight into what goes in to what has become an American institution! The love of college basketball comes thru every page!

[TA Inskeep · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re a March Madness nerd, you should read this.

[Jeremy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty disappointed. Large swathes of the book are essentially a love letter from the author to his employer which is unappealing even if sincere

[Charlie Kruse · Rating 2 out of 5]

eh. A lot less informative than I thought it would be. Funny last chapter, where Lunardi tentatively proposes some changes to the NCAA to level the playing field. Not the best

[Paul Morro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read! Lots of "inside basketball" tidbits from the original Bracketologist

[Steven Beningo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good book, however the testimonial chapter is too long.

[Corey Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good analysis of a sport fan's most favorite time of the year (MM).

[Clint Cowan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great

This book is a must read for anyone like myself that is obsessed with the selection of teams for the NCAA tournament.

[jslonaker1980 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

March madness is an American phenomenon and this book gives you some very insightful information on how and why joey brackets does his bracket projections