Thankfully, we get to avoid this thing for a year
Well, every year in addition to my serious bracket picks every year I always make my picks of who I think has the best mascot in the field of 65 68 and this year is no exception. Follow along as I wade through this year’s field and find the best mascot and/or color combination in the pool.
MIDWEST REGION:
Round of 64
#1 Louisville Cardinals vs #16 North Carolina A&T Aggies: As much as I want to root for NCA&T as the representatives from my current school’s conference (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, the same as Norfolk State, Coppin State, Hampton), I have issues with teams named “Aggies”. On this principle alone, I’ve got to select Louisville. Pick: Louisville
#8 Colorado State Rams vs #9 Missouri Tigers: Well, this matchup was actually a bit of a tough pick for me, but personally I prefer the green and gold rams from the Mountain West Conference here. “Tigers” tends to be a bit of an overused nickname in my opinion, and that’s what did the argument in for me. Pick: Colorado State
#5 Oklahoma State Cowboys vs #12 Oregon (Fighting?) Ducks: Honestly here, there wasn’t much of a choice. They’re freaking Ducks. Minus Puddles’ unfortunate name up against Pistol Pete, the Oregon mascot is tons cooler. Pick: Oregon
#4 Saint Louis Billikens vs #13 New Mexico State Aggies: New Mexico State has a cowboy logo, yet their nickname is the Aggies, similar to NCA&T who has a bulldog representation. But what in the world is a Billiken? According to the myth, a Billiken is a good luck charm, but the history of its creation is a little fuzzy. One thing that’s not fuzzy is that it looks cool, and the name itself is pretty great as well. Pick: Saint Louis
#6 Memphis Tigers vs #11 Saint Mary’s Peacocks: See my above argument against Tigers, and you’re left with a simple question of “why not pick a team called the Peacocks?” Easy choice here. Pick: Saint Mary’s
#3 Michigan State Spartans vs #14 Valparaiso Crusaders: Here, I’d honestly pick Valparaiso for the simple fact that I like saying their name. Say it, it’ll lighten your day. Valparaiso. This is a tough matchup to call here, but just because there aren’t nearly enough Crusaders in college basketball, Valpo gets the edge: Valparaiso
#7 Creighton (Blue)Jays vs #10 Cincinnati Bearcats: The Fighting Doug McDermotts Jays have a really cool midcourt logo in Omaha, Nebraska, but it’s the cool compound nickname of Cincy that gives them the leg up in my book. Advantage: Bearcats. Pick: Cincinnati
#2 Duke Blue Devils vs #15 Albany Great Danes: Duke has a classic time tested nickname in the Blue Devils, and it’s easily recognizable. However, it’s the out of the ordinary nickname of Albany that wins this matchup for me. Pick: Albany
Round of 32
#1 Louisville Cardinals vs #8 Colorado State Rams: Cardinals aren’t nearly as ferocious as a ram, but you wouldn’t be able to tell by Louisville’s logo. This matchup is really a coin flip for me, but I like the Cardinal nickname here more than the Rams. Pick: Louisville
#12 Oregon Ducks vs #4 Saint Louis Billikens: Yet again, I find the novelty factor of the Billiken nickname too much to overlook. Pick: Saint Louis
#11 Saint Mary’s Peacocks vs #14 Valparaiso Crusaders: Finally, we get to a matchup that features two unconventional nicknames (which is the entire point of this bracket). With this pick, I ended up going the route of which mascot could beat up the other (henceforth referred to as the “Cagematch rule”) to reach my conclusion of picking Valpo. Had this been a match between Crusaders and Emus… well, we’d have a different story. Pick: Valparaiso
#10 Cincinnati Bearcats vs #15 Albany Great Danes: Last time around, I lauded the unconventionality of Albany’s nickname, and while I do like it a lot, a Bearcat is just too much to look past. Pick: Cincinnati
Sweet Sixteen
#1 Louisville Cardinals vs #4 Saint Louis Billikens: Every once in a while when you do a bracket like this you end up creating actual potential matches, and this is one of those situations. However, we’re not looking at stats and season performances, we’re looking at the things that matter like that giant furry thing jumping around and dancing with the cheerleaders during the commercial breaks. In this matchup we’ve got Cardinals and Billikens, and the Billikens will continue their strong run through the tournament. Pick: Saint Louis
#14 Valparaiso Crusaders vs #10 Cincinnati Bearcats: Crusaders and Bearcats meet here in what is truly a clash of the titans… as far as nicknames and mascots go. Here again, I like the sound of Crusaders a lot, and they slightly edge out the Bearcats here. Pick: Valparaiso
Regional Championship
#4 Saint Louis Billikens vs #14 Valparaiso Crusaders: Valpo had a good crusade through the tournament, but they’re gonna run into the buzzsaw known as the Billikens here. Pick: Saint Louis
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West Region
Round of 64
#1 Gonzaga Bulldogs vs #16 Southern Jaguars: In this matchup on official nicknames alone, I’d give Southern the edge. However, with the backup of the unofficial moniker of the Zags, Gonzaga is able to slip their way through this one. Pick: Gonzaga
#8 Pittsburgh Panthers vs #9 Wichita State Shockers: Unconventional nicknames strike again! As far as the unconventional names go, Shockers is actually pretty tame. The name refers to farmers who shock wheat in the fields, and if there’s one thing Kansas is known for as a state, it’s wheat. So, even though the nickname here is nothing more than a glorified farmer, I like the sound of it, the “Shox” go through. Pick: Wichita State
#5 Wisconsin Badgers vs #12 Ole Miss Rebels: They might not be honey badgers, but you can bet that Wisconsin doesn’t care who they’re going up against. I’ve always been partial to the “Running Rebel” variant of the Rebels nickname (See: East Region) but, I’ve gotta pick Wisconsin here to get through on the count of them boosting a ferocious animal. Pick: Wisconsin
#4 Kansas State Wildcats vs #13 Boise State Broncos/LaSalle Explorers: Kansas State comes into this tournament as the lone team wearing purple, and they get bonus points for that. However they have a potential matchup with either Broncos or Explorers which is tons more fun than a generic Wildcat. Pick: Boise State/LaSalle
#6 Arizona Wildcats vs #11 Belmont Bruins: The nickname Bruins just carries a majestic feel with it, and Arizona falls here to the generic nickname rule. Pick: Belmont
#3 New Mexico Lobos vs #14 Harvard Crimson: Well, Crimson ain’t nothin’ but a color. New Mexico earns cool points here as the only team in the tournament with a Spanish nickname (Lobo is Spanish for wolf), and with that they win this matchup hands down. Pick: New Mexico
#7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs #10 Iowa State Cyclones: This is a great matchup here, I’ve always been a big fan of both of the nicknames featured here. Cyclones just conjures up a great amount of raw power, and they use a hawk as their mascot representation. On the other side, we’ve got the Fighting Irish which is another great classic nickname. This one’s another coin flip in my book, but I’m going with the Fighting Irish. Pick: Notre Dame
#2 Ohio State Buckeyes vs #15 Iona Gaels: This matchup features two monikers that might spark the question: what is it? A Buckeye is a small brown nut that comes from the Buckeye tree, which is the state tree of Ohio. It’s also poisonous, so that’s a thing. A Gael is any person of Irish-Gaelic descent, and the nickname matches up with the founders of the university who are known as the Irish Christian Brothers. The deep ties of the Gael nickname here definitely gave them a leg up for me. Pick: Iona
Round of 32
#1 Gonzaga Bulldogs vs #9 Wichita State Shockers: Another team falls victim to the generic nickname rule, Wichita State advances easily here. Pick: Wichita State
#5 Wisconsin Badgers vs #13 Boise State Broncos/LaSalle Explorers: Another tough matchup for me to call here, so again I’ve resorted to picking the mascot that could beat up the other. In this case, that mascot is the Badger. Pick: Wisconsin
#11 Belmont Bruins vs #3 New Mexico Lobos: The Bruin is a really cool nickname, but here again I’m going with the cool factor of the Spanish nickname. New Mexico advances. Pick: New Mexico
#7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs #15 Iona Gaels: Well well, we have actual fighting Irish here, how’s that for irony? I actually deliberated over this pick for a while since they’re essentially the same, but I was finally able to reach a conclusion. Notre Dame’s nickname is right in your face as to what it is, whereas with Iona you’ve got to do a little research to find out what it is, and when you do you realize it ties into the school which I really like. With that said, I’ve got to give my pick to the Gaels. Pick: Iona
Sweet Sixteen
#9 Wichita State Shockers vs #5 Wisconsin Badgers: Yet again, I went the route of picking the more ferocious mascot; and yet again, that’s Wisconsin. Pick: Wisconsin
#3 New Mexico Lobos vs #15 Iona Gaels: The cool Spanish nickname shows up yet again, but in this instance I like the Gael nickname more for the reasons mentioned above. Iona’s upset run continues. Pick: Iona
Regional Championship
#5 Wisconsin Badgers vs #15 Iona Gaels: Usually in this instance I’d go the ferocious animal route, but still I find Iona too cool to overlook. Gaels go through to the Final Four. Pick: Iona
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South Region
#1 Kansas Jayhawks vs #16 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers: This pick came down to only one thing for me: have you seen Western Kentucky’s mascot? Big Red puts the ‘toppers through all by itself. Pick: Western Kentucky
#8 North Carolina Tar Heels vs #9 Villanova Wildcats: The generic mascot rule gets enacted once again here, and UNC gains points here with the application of the colloquial term “Tar Heel“. There’s a lot of history behind the name, and most of it centers around the state’s high production of tar and turpentine many years back in the 1800s, and there’s also a tinge of Civil War history associated with it. In any case, UNC advances in a walk over. Pick: North Carolina
#5 Virginia Commonwealth Rams vs #12 Akron Zips: Last time around, I picked the team with the Rams moniker, but this time they’re going up against a team with an unconventional nickname. Akron’s nickname of the Zips might not bring much to your mind, but here’s this: their official mascot is a kangaroo. ‘Roos get the nod here. Pick: Akron
#4 Michigan Wolverines vs #13 South Dakota State Jackrabbits: The unconventionally nicknamed team strikes yet again in this tourney, as the Wolverines stood no chance against these Jackrabbits. Pick: South Dakota State
#6 UCLA Bruins vs #11 Minnesota Golden Gophers: If there’s one thing those Great Lakes schools have in common, it’s that they like to name their teams after their state animals( Michigan Wolverines, Wisconsin Badgers), and Minnesota is no exception. With Belmont I pointed to the majestic sound of the Bruin nickname- which still holds true- however I like the sound of Golden Gophers more in this matchup. Pick: Minnesota
#3 Florida Gators vs #14 Northwestern State Demons: A quality nickname pairing here, however NW State gets slightly hurt here by the generic nickname rule and well, who would want to go up against a gator? Pick: Florida
#7 San Diego State Aztecs vs #10 Oklahoma Sooners: This pairing matches up old world history vs new world history with two well named teams. San Diego State represents the ancient Mexican civilization, and Oklahoma represents the settlers of the state prior to them being declared open, thus being too soon. In this matchup, I like San Diego State. Pick: San Diego State
#2 Georgetown Hoyas vs #15 Florida Gulf Coast Eagles: The generic nickname rule once again rears its ugly head and bounces FGCU (not to be confused with CGNU) unceremoniously from this tournament. The Hoya nickname was derived from the Latin and Greek chant “Hoya Saxa” which translates to “What rocks” and gained major traction in 1920. If that’s not cool, I don’t know what is. Pick: Georgetown
Round of 32
#16 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs #8 North Carolina Tar Heels: Another good nickname pairing here between WKU and UNC and it’s yet another tough call for me. What determined this matchup for me was the mascots of the two teams: Carolina has Ramses the Ram, and Western Kentucky still has Red Grimace Big Red. WKU wins. Pick: Western Kentucky
#12 Akron Zips vs #13 South Dakota State Jackrabbits: Kangaroos and Jackrabbits, oh my! The South bracket might just have the best nicknames in this entire tournament, which only makes this pick tougher. Through much deliberation, I think I’m going with the Jackrabbits of South Dakota State, it’s such a fun nickname. Pick: South Dakota State
#11 Minnesota Golden Gophers vs #3 Florida Gators: Gophers and Gators here in yet another quality pairing in this region, and another match that’s hard to pick. This is another pick that would usually result in me using the cagematch rule (which a gator would undoubtedly win), but this time around I’m going with the quirky mascot pick of the Gophers. This commercial also helped. Pick: MinnesotaYet
#7 San Diego State Aztecs vs #2 Georgetown Hoyas: I know last time around I pumped up Georgetown for their use of their Greek/Latin nickname, but what it really boils down to is a couple of words with a bulldog mascot. Aztecs go through here. Pick: San Diego State
Sweet Sixteen
#16 Western Kentucky Hilltopers vs #13 South Dakota State Jackrabbits: Unfortunately here, we see Big Red’s ride come to an end here as the Jackrabbit nickname is too strong for Western Kentucky. Pick: South Dakota State
#11 Minnesota Golden Gophers vs #7 San Diego State Aztecs: The quirky nickname pulls through once again in this region as Minnesota narrowly edges out the Aztecs. Pick: Minnesota
Regional Championship
#16 South Dakota State Jackrabbits vs #11 Minnesota Golden Gophers: Yet another tough call for me, and I’m glad I’m finally done with this region. In this matchup, I’ve gotta go with the mascot that could beat up the other, and that goes to Minnesota. Pick: Minnesota
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East Region
Round of 64
#1 Indiana Hoosiers vs #16 LIU-Brooklyn Blackbirds/James Madison Dukes: Unconventional nicknames are everywhere in this potential matchup. With that said, there’s something about the Hoosier nickname that’s always stuck with me, and as the larger seed and the name brand, I’ve gotta pick Indiana here. Pick: Indiana
#8 North Carolina State Wolfpack vs #9 Temple Owls: This might be a bit of a homer pick here, but quite honestly I like the thought of the Wolfpack nickname more than the Owls. Pick: NC State
#5 UNLV Runnin’ Rebels vs #12 California Golden Bears: Right so, I love everything about the nickname “Runnin’ Rebels”, and it was also the name of my flag football team my freshman year in college. So, this is a no brainer pick for me. Pick: UNLV
#4 Syracuse Orange vs #13 Montana Grizzlies: Once again we find another plain color nickname in the field of 68. Syracuse used to be known as the Orangemen, but have since simply shortened it to just Orange, yet Otto the Orange can still be seen roaming the sidelines. On the other side of the coin, Montana features a truly ferocious nickname in the Grizzlies, and that’s enough to see them through. Pick: Montana
#6 Butler Bulldogs vs #11 Bucknell Bison: With the generic nickname rule enacted, Bucknell advances easily to the next round. Pick: Bucknell
#3 Marquette Golden Eagles vs #14 Davidson Wildcats: The generic nickname rule could be used here for both teams, but I like the Golden Eagles nickname and Marquette’s color scheme more. Pick: Marquette
#7 Illinois Fighting Illini vs #10 Colorado Buffaloes: Homer pick? Yes. Fighting Illini go through, even with the unfortunate miss of Chief Illiniwek. Pick: Illinois
#2 Miami Hurricanes vs #15 Pacific Tigers: The generic nickname rule gets enacted for the final time in the tournament, and Pacific takes a trip home. Pick: Miami
Round of 32
#1 Indiana Hoosiers vs #8 North Carolina State Wolfpack: Indiana advance last round with the use of their adopted colloquial nickname, but I’m calling in the ferocious animal rule here. It’s not just that NC State has a ferocious nickname, Wolfpack in itself is a really cool nickname. Pick: North Carolina State
#5 UNLV Runnin’ Rebels vs #13 Montana Grizzlies: As mentioned before, I love the Runnin’ Rebels moniker, and that’ll send them through to the next round. Pick: UNLV
#11 Bucknell Bison vs #3 Marquette Golden Eagles: You’d think I’d use the generic nickname rule here, and you’d be wrong. Once again, Marquette’s strength of their uniforms and their color scheme propels them forward. Pick: Marquette
#7 Illinois Fighting Illini vs #2 Miami Hurricanes: I’d really like to continue my homer picks right here, but I think the sheer force of a hurricane won me over here, and that will (unfortunately) put Miami through to the next round. Pick: Miami
Sweet Sixteen
#8 North Carolina State Wolfpack vs #5 UNLV Runnin’ Rebels: This matchup pits two nicknames that I really like against each other, and this left me with no choice but to enact the cage match rule. With that in place, NC State emerges victorious, and UNLV leaves battered and bruised. Pick: North Carolina State
#3 Marquette Golden Eagles vs #2 Miami Hurricanes: Once again, I abstain from the generic nickname rule in this matchup as I simply can’t look past Marquette’s gorgeous color scheme and uniforms. Pick: Marquette
Regional Championship
#8 North Carolina State Wolfpack vs #3 Marquette Golden Eagles: Well, this is the end of the run for Marquette, I can’t look past the ferocity of a pack of wolves in this matchup. Pick: North Carolina State
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FINAL FOUR
#4 Saint Louis Billikens vs #15 Iona Gaels: Throughout the entire tournament I’ve been talking about the strength and sheer awesomeness of the Billiken mascot for Saint Louis. Iona has had a great run with the Gael moniker, but it’s not enough to see them past Saint Louis into the national championship. Pick: Saint Louis
#11 Minnesota Golden Gophers vs #8 North Carolina State Wolfpack: This matchup has the cage match rule written all over it, and assuming you could fit the entire pack in said cage, NC State would emerge victorious. A great run for Minnesota, though. Pick: North Carolina State
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NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
#4 Saint Louis Billikens vs #8 North Carolina State Wolfpack: Well this is it, 68 nicknames have been whittled down to two, and only one can emerge victorious. Saint Louis brings the quirkiness factor with the Billiken mascot, and NC State brings the ferocity with the Wolfpack, but one must be better. In the end, this year’s crown has to go to Saint Louis for bringing such an odd and amazing thing to the NCAA Tournament.
The Saint Louis Billiken!
Well that does it for this year’s mascot tourney, if you’ve got something to add leave a message below or tweet my @Jonny29D! Also if you’re interested, there’s an article over at SB Nation that selects a tournament winner based on the best regional beer.
Will Call 
