By John Ostapkovich

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The NCAA men’s basketball tournament looms large, but perhaps nowhere larger today than at the Shops at Liberty Place.

It was a pep rally thrown by the networks, including CBS, that will broadcast the games.

The rotunda was rocking as members of the marching band from Temple University — one of three City Six teams in the tournament, along with LaSalle and Villanova — played for the better part of the lunch hour.

Looming behind them was a 20-foot-high cube (below) displaying regional brackets with the teams ready to do battle.

(Credit: John Ostapkovich)

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(An Instabracket console provides automated assistance for NCAA neophytes. Credit: John Ostapkovich)

Part of the fun is trying to pick winners, and the event’s leader, Michael Winn, points toward “Instabracket” consoles (right).
“We have a couple of kiosks here for people trying to get the… maybe not so much the basketball enthusiast…  more involved.  Come on down, hit the button, it fills out the bracket for you entirely.  You can choose past history, favorite team, all upsets, no upsets.”

The bracket cube and Instabracket consoles will be at the Shops at Liberty Place through Friday.

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