ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, aka Joey Brackets, offers a Bracketology class for, get this, just $249! Here’s the problem: It teaches you how to predict what the brackets look like before the games are played, and you can’t make money unless you do a good job of guessing what they’ll look like when the tournament is finished.

For that, it pays to consult somebody who has had recent success. KUSports.com editor Jesse Newell doesn’t qualify. In last year’s bracket contest on KUSports.com, Newell finished 2,020th of 2,079, or in the bottom three percent, or 1,993 places and 96 percentage points (rounded off) behind me.

Secret No. 1: Join as many different contests as possible, and then brag about the one in which you perform best.

Secret No. 2: Make one unconventional Final Four pick and stick with it in every bracket you fill out. This year, make Baylor that pick.

If believing that makes you squeamish, consider statements made by two members of a royal basketball family about Scott Drew’s Bears.

At one of the rare times he wasn’t talking about Baylor center Josh Lomers during a recent game, ESPN commentator Bob Knight had this to say about LaceDarius Dunn: “I’m not so sure he isn’t the best basketball player in the Big 12.”

Mix in a strong, quick, smart, experienced scoring threat of a point guard in Tweety Carter, and the perimeter is in good hands.

What separates Baylor from most teams, according to Texas Tech coach Pat Knight, is the presence of a shot-blocking post player.

“I think we’ve got two of the best defensive big men in the country,” Knight said of KU’s Cole Aldrich and Baylor’s Epke Udoh. “… You’re focusing on the man guarding you, and now you go up, and all of a sudden here comes Cole or Udoh covering from behind. You don’t see it. That’s what championship teams need. I think that’s why Kansas is one of those teams, why can’t they win it all? Bill (Self) is a buddy of mine, I don’t want to put that pressure on him, but I think to be that good you have to have that presence. And I think Scott’s got that, too, with Udoh.”

The college game is getting smaller all the time, but the younger Knight remains a huge believer in shot-blockers.

“You can talk about I’d like to have that player or that player from a guard or wing situation, but if you want to win championships, you want that guy like Cole or Udoh because they make such a big difference from the defensive end,” Pat Knight said. “If you make a mistake on the ball, at least you know you’ve got somebody there that can back you up.”

Put Kansas and Baylor in the Final Four in all your pools and try different combinations with them: Cornell and Kansas State in one, Kentucky and Syracuse in another, with K-State losing to Brigham Young in the second round.

Cornell? A No. 12 seed, the Ivy League champ is smart, experienced, big, physical and blessed with a great shooter (Ryan Wittman). The Big Red could frustrate Kentucky, the nation’s most talented team, all the way into a mega upset.

Secret No. 3: It’s all a crap shoot, so find out which way Newell’s going and figure the law of averages will kick in.