Starting today, the annual madness that is the NCAA Basketball Tournament takes its grip on our nation. Research experts estimate that the average American will spend 13.5 minutes per workday over the next three weeks keeping track of the games, which translates into $3.8 billion in lost productivity.

So at least let's make wasting time more profitable with our annual alphabetical trip through the maze of 65 teams:

• A is for the Atlantic Coast Conference. After an impressive run from 1991 to 2005 that included 16 Final Four teams and five national champions, the ACC has been shut out of the last two Final Fours. The ACC hasn't missed three consecutive NCAA semifinals since 1959-61. No. 1 North Carolina is primed to end that streak.

• B is for the Big East, which leads the field with eight teams, and has produced seven Final Four teams and two national champs since 2003. Conversely, the Big 12 has produced only one national champion (Kansas in 1988) in the last 32 years.

• C is for Connecticut, our pick as a sleeper team. The Huskies, who are the No. 4 seed in the West, have what it takes to make the Final Four — quick guards, quality big men and a Hall of Fame coach with two national titles (Jim Calhoun).

• D is for Duke, who else? Coach K haters loved seeing the Blue Devils crumble vs. Virginia Commonwealth in the first round last year, Duke's briefest NCAA stay since 1996. If their three-pointers are falling, the second-seeded Devils could get to their first Final Four since 2004. Or they could lose in the second round in the shots are not falling.

• E is for Drake guard Adam Emmenecker, the tournament's "Rudy." A seldom-used walk-on heading into the season, the 6-1 senior did all the little things (eight points, six assists, four rebounds, lots of hustle and smarts) for the fifth-seeded Bulldogs (28-4) and was named Missouri Valley MVP. And he carries a 3.97 GPA.

• F is for two-time defending champ Florida, which joins last year's finalist Ohio State on the outside looking in. It's the first time both title game schools have missed out the next year since 1980 (Indiana State and Michigan State).

• G is for the good luck No. 11 seeds have enjoyed lately vs. No. 6s — a 5-7 mark over the last three years. Look for St. Joseph's to keep that streak going by knocking off Oklahoma.

• H is for North Carolina forward Tyler Hansbrough, the hardest-working player in the field. Without the relentless 6-9 senior (23 points, 10 rebounds, 54 percent from the field), there's no way the Tar Heels are a No. 1 seed.

• I is for Indiana, the field's big question mark. After coach Kelvin Sampson was forced out, in steps assistant Dan Dakich, a former Hoosier who never got Bowling Green into the NCAAs in 10 years coaching.

• J is for the Jayhawks of Kansas, No. 1 seeds in the Midwest. Since winning it all 20 years ago, the Jayhawks have reached the Elite Eight or better seven times, but haven't won another title. Time is wasting.

• K is for Kentucky, which rallied to make it into the field for the 17th consecutive year, to the delight of fetching Wildcats uber-fan Ashley Judd.

• L is for Louisville coach Rick Pitino, the only coach to take three different schools (Providence, Kentucky, Louisville) to the Final Four. Pitino's NCAA mark of 32-11 trails only Coach K and Florida's Billy Donovan among active coaches.

• M is for Michael Beasley of Kansas State, easily the best player in this field. All the 6-8 freshman did was rank third in the nation in scoring (26.5 points) while leading in rebounding (12.5 a game). Enjoy his college farewell this week.

• N is for the No. 1 seeds, all 12 of them, that have won it all since 1990. Over that same span, only once (2006) has at least one No. 1 seed failed to make the Final Four, with two or more making it nine times. Good news for North Carolina, UCLA, Kansas and Memphis.

• O is for Oregon, the most curious seed at No. 9 in the South. Are these the same Ducks that lost to Oakland and Nebraska and finished on a 6-9 slide? Sounds like an NIT résumé.

• P is for the Patriots of George Mason, who return after their stunning run Final Four run two years ago. Could lightning strike twice? Not likely. Look for Notre Dame to take Mason out in the first round.

• Q is quit whining about expanding the field from 65 teams. Read this again, Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim.

• R is for the tourney-record 61 points Notre Dame's Austin Carr put up 38 years ago in a win over Ohio (minus a shot clock or 3-point line). The closest since was 50 by Navy's David Robinson in 1987.

• S is for the unlucky No. 7 seeds. Since 1985, no 7 seed has reached the title game, with only Virginia in 1984 reaching the Final Four. Bad news for Gonzaga, Butler, Miami and West Virginia.

• T is for Tennessee. In coach Bruce Pearl's three years, the Vols have gone from an SEC "laughingstock" — as star Chris Lofton put it — to second seeds in the East. The Vols have never made it past the Sweet 16 in 15 tries. That has to change.

• U is for UCLA, our pick to win it all. In the last two NCAAs, UCLA is 0-2 vs. Florida and 9-0 against anybody else. And Joakim Noah and co. aren't around to torment Ben Howland's deep, talented team.

• V is for Mississippi State's Jarvis Varnado, the best big man you've never heard of. The 6-9 sophomore led the nation with 148 blocked shots to go along with 7.7 points and 7.9 rebounds a game.

• W is for the Wildcats of Davidson's terrific backcourt of senior Jason Richards, who led the nation in assists (8.0), and Stephen Curry, who has hit 139 3-pointers, the most of any player in the field.

• X is for Xavier, another excellent dark horse pick. The third-seeded Musketeers could wreck havoc in the West, the softest of the four regions.

• Y is for why must we endure tonight's farcical play-in game? Either put both Mount St. Mary's and Coppin State in or not. It's not as if losing another 13-loss at-large team would kill the tournament.

• Z is for the zero wins in 92 tries for No. 16 seeds vs. No. 1s since 1985. It's hard to see Davids Maryland-Baltimore County, Texas-Arlington, Mississippi Valley State or Mount St. Mary's-Coppin State felling Goliath.