How to win March Madness Survivor Pool: Best first-round picks in men's bracket

Mapping out your plan for USA TODAY Sports' March Madness Survivor Pool can be tricky business.

Here's how it works: Players make a small number of picks for each round of the NCAA Tournament but can't select the same team twice. So if you like a team's chances to reach the Final Four, it wouldn't be prudent to pick them in the first round.

So, in deciding on your three first-round picks, the prevailing question is a difficult one. Which teams do I like that I don't necessarily believe in?

Without question, the first round is the most treacherous. It is important to take into account seed positioning and game matchups. For example, a team with a favorable first-round matchup that has the potential of facing a higher seed in one of the next few rounds could be a smart pick. Why? Because an unfavorable future matchup would result in that team being less tempting to select again.

Check out this story for full details of how the NCAA survivor pools work, as well as how to enter for free and win major cash.

Here are five intriguing picks for first-round consideration in the men's tournament, taking into account matchups and bracket positioning.

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5. No. 4 UConn over No. 13 Iona: The Huskies have a tough road out of the West region, but their first-round matchup with Iona could be a worthwhile survivor pick. Should UConn advance, the Huskies might end up as underdogs against No. 5 Saint Mary's (second round) or No. 1 Kansas (Sweet 16) if they get that far. If you like UConn but don't love its long-term outlook, this could be the pick for you.

4. No. 7 Michigan State over No. 10 USC: The Trojans suffered a first-round loss as a No. 7 seed last season. The Spartans may be favored by less than 2 points, but Tom Izzo is still Tom Izzo and Michigan State possesses more consistent scoring than USC. The Spartans are also staring down a potential second-round matchup against No. 2 Marquette, so this could be a good one-and-done pick.

3. No. 8 Memphis over No. 9 FAU: The Tigers are trending upward but have a second-round matchup looming against top-seeded Purdue, which makes them an attractive first-round survivor pick. After taking down Houston to win a conference title, Memphis has a ton of momentum coming into the week. FAU, despite only losing three games all season, may be vulnerable to Penny Hardaway's rising Tigers squad.

2. No. 5 San Diego State vs. No. 12 College of Charleston: The Aztecs have been punching above their weight all season and could be a dark horse in the South region. Despite the game being played at 3:10 p.m. ET — and held relatively close to Charleston in Orlando, Florida — San Diego State remains favored over the CAA champions ahead of a potentially tough second-round bout with No. 4 Virginia.

1. No. 5 Miami (FL) vs. No. 12 Drake: Another attractive 5/12 matchup. The Hurricanes could have ended up with a higher seed, but their positioning in the Midwest region could be beneficial to survivalists. Miami is heavily favored over Drake but then could be on a collision course with No. 4 Indiana (second round) or No. 1 Houston (Sweet 16) if the Canes get that far. A relatively safe first-round pick here.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Top first-round NCAA men's picks for March Madness Survivor Pool