Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton, a former Iowa State Cyclones player, posted on X encouraging NCAA Tournament fans to submit a single bracket rather than multiple entries.[1]
In the post ahead of the 2024 men's and women's Division I basketball tournaments, Haliburton wrote: "Make one bracket and stand on it."[1] He tied the message to his partnership with Reese's March Madness Bracket Busting Campaign.[1]
Speaking to Fox News Digital, Haliburton called making multiple brackets "lame," saying it shows fans cannot make up their minds.[1] He accepted one rationale: one optimistic bracket picking an alma mater to win and another realistic version.[1]
Haliburton selected Iowa State, where he played during the 2019-20 season, to win the national championship.[1] The Cyclones earned a No. 2 seed in the East Region with a 27-10 record after the Big 12 Conference tournament.[2][3]
Iowa State faced No. 15 seed South Dakota State in the first round on March 21, 2024, at CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska.[2][4] Haliburton cited the team's strength in the Big 12 -- which he called the best conference in college basketball -- and success on neutral courts.[1]
He referenced a close loss to Arizona, saying they "needed a Hail Mary fadeaway to beat us."[1]
Reese's campaign invites fans to share busted brackets on social media -- tagging @Reeses and using #ForAReesesSweeps on X, Instagram or TikTok -- for chances to win products and tickets to the men's or women's Final Four and championship games.[1]
Haliburton joined New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart, and analysts Richard Jefferson and Andraya Carter, at a Bracket Summit to share picks for both tournaments.[1]
Sources
- Fox News, "Tyrese Haliburton has message for March Madness fans entering brackets: 'Make one bracket and stand on it'", March 20, 2024, https://www.foxnews.com/sports/tyrese-haliburton-has-message-march-madness-fans-entering-brackets-make-one-bracket-stand-it
- NCAA, "2024 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament", March 17, 2024, https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2024-03-17/2024-ncaa-march-madness-mens-bracket
- Iowa State University Athletics, "2023-24 Men's Basketball Cumulative Statistics", accessed October 2024, https://cyclones.com/sports/mens-basketball/stats/2023-24
- NCAA, "Omaha regional - First and second rounds", March 2024, https://www.ncaa.com/game/6182482