Beware the power of the #10 seed

From WSJ, and a perfect admonition for those who think picking the top seed will always put them ahead. For Cal fans, we'd do well to ignore this:

Beware the Power of the 10 Seed

There are very few things in sports more exciting, and more mischievously satisfying, than watching an NCAA basketball team catch fire and blow past two arrogant opponents in the tournament's first weekend.
It's too ambitious to expect any team seeded worse than No. 12 to make this happen, so the burden tends to fall on teams with seeds in the middle of the pack. And this year, if previous tournaments are any guide, the Cinderella is likely to come from the No. 10 slot.
Since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, a total of 17 No. 10 seeds have won their first two games to advance to the Sweet 16. That's more than all the No. 8 seeds (nine) and No. 9 seeds (three) combined.
There's no conspiracy here. Because of the way the brackets are built, a No. 10 seed has an advantage if it wins its first game. While No. 8 or No. 9 seeds have the unenviable task of taking on a No. 1 seed in the second round, No. 10 seeds usually end up with a far more winnable game against a No. 2. Last year's example was tiny Davidson College, a No. 10 that beat No. 2 Georgetown on its way to the Elite Eight.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123734108334165043.html