Start flexing those foam fingers, college b-ball fans. The NCAA Men’s and Women’s basketball tournaments began this week. And you just know Louisville will be all in — especially since UofL’s women’s basketball team is the No. 1 seed for our region.

That’s right, first and second-round games will be tipping off at the KFC Yum! Center tonight + Sun., March 20. Tickets are already in high demand, so those who want to score some seats may need to consider the NCAA ticket exchange. Otherwise, best to click on that remote.

We’ll help you sort through all the madness to cheer on our home squad whether it’s on the couch or the bar stool. Oh, and don’t forget to vote in our best local cheeseburger bracket, which promises to be a real buzzer-beater, too.

Game on 🏀

Louisville (1) vs. Albany (16) | Fri., March 18 | 6 p.m. | ESPN2 | Like the Cards’ chances? No. 1 seeds make the next round — aka the Thankful 32 — 99% of the time.

Party till the brackets bust 🎉

Troll Pub Under the Bridge, 150 W. Washington St. | Fri., 11-2 a.m., Sat. + Sun., 12 p.m.-2 a.m. | If you’re downtown for the game, grab a seat in this underground dining experience across the street from the Yum! Center — we recommend the loaded troll fries + chicken wings.
O’Line Sports Grill, 2813 N. Hurstbourne Pkwy. | Sat., 11-1:30 a.m. + Sun., 12 p.m.-1 a.m. | The restaurant is offering a special Lent menu on Fridays featuring fried fish baskets + regular specials on other menu items.
Hoops Grill & Sports Bar, 6733 Strawberry Ln. | Fri.-Sat., 11-1 a.m. + Sun. 11-12 a.m. | Watch the game from almost any angle thanks to the density of TVs in this bar + nosh on tonight’s fried cod special.
Brownie's The Shed Grille & Bar, 9900 Linn Station Rd. | Fri.-Sat., 11-1 a.m. + Sun. 11 a.m.-11 p.m. | Catch any game on Brownie’s TVs, enjoy live entertainment on Fridays and Saturdays + play cornhole on the patio.
Stooges Bar & Grill, 7123 Grade Ln. | Fri.-Sat., 6-4 a.m. + Sun., 10-4 a.m. | This bar is open 22 hours a day + features an outdoor deck and volleyball court.
Double Deuce Sports Bar and Grill, 2529 W. Broadway | Fri.-Sun., 1 p.m.-4 a.m. | Take a seat and enjoy the game, live entertainment + food at this old-school executive lounge-style bar.

Winning picks ✔️

Spoiler alert — if you’ve joined an office or friend-created NCAA pool, you’re going to get some picks wrong, since the chances of selecting a perfect bracket are 9.2 quintillion to one. You just need to be less wrong than the other participants, so keep these other numbers in mind:

Only once in the past 36 years did all four No. 1 seeds make it to the Final Four in the men’s tournament
But only 18 teams seeded seventh or worse have reached the Final Four
No. 1 seeds in the women's tournament have won almost 80% of championships, and no team seeded worse than No. 3 has won the women's tourney

In other words, pick a few upsets early, stick to mostly higher seeds late, and more than anything else — have fun.