Frustration, Clarity, and the Art of the Simple Answer: March Madness Edition

March is here, and with it comes the madness of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. Today, Yale, my alma mater, secured its spot in the Big Dance by defeating Cornell in the Ivy League Championship. They'll play Texas A&M in the First Found on Thursday.

As the Bulldogs prepare for another potential Cinderella run, it’s worth revisiting one of the most memorable moments in recent March Madness history—one that not only provided a viral soundbite but also offers an unexpected lesson for law students preparing for the bar exam.

That moment came in 2016 when Yale pulled off a major upset, taking down No. 5 seed Baylor in the first round. It was the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament victory, and the Bulldogs did it in large part by dominating the boards, out-rebounding Baylor 36-32.

After the game, Baylor senior forward Taurean Prince sat at the podium for a postgame press conference, no doubt frustrated with how his team’s season had just ended at the hands of an Ivy League opponent. A reporter asked him:

“How does Yale out-rebound Baylor?”

Prince’s response—dripping with sarcasm—became an instant classic:

"You go up and grab the ball off the rim when it comes off, and then you grab it with two hands, and you come down with it, and that's considered a rebound. So they got more of those than we did."

The delivery was pointed. The sarcasm was unmistakable. But at its core, the answer was also undeniably correct. He could have spoken in clichés about effort, positioning, or toughness, but instead, he distilled the concept of rebounding to its simplest form.

His response provides two key takeaways that are incredibly relevant for law students, particularly those preparing for the bar exam: 1️⃣ Frustration Leads to Clarity, and 2️⃣ Why the Best Answers Sound Obvious in Hindsight.

1. Frustration Leads to Clarity

Prince’s answer wasn’t just a textbook definition of rebounding—it was a reflection of his frustration with the question. From his perspective, it was obvious how Yale out-rebounded Baylor: they grabbed more rebounds. Why should he have to spell that out?

For law students, this reaction might feel familiar. There are moments when exam questions—whether in law school, on the bar exam, or even in practice—feel frustratingly straightforward. Many students get tripped up because they expect things to be harder than they really are.

Imagine seeing an essay question about negligence on the bar exam. Some students might immediately start overcomplicating their answer:

• “What if this is a trick question?”

• “Should I discuss proximate cause in extreme detail, even though the fact pattern barely touches on it?”

• “Is there some hidden issue I’m missing?”

This type of overthinking leads to convoluted, bloated answers that miss the point. The reality? The correct answer is often simple: Did the defendant owe a duty? Did they breach it? Did that breach cause harm? Boom. That’s negligence.

When you feel yourself getting frustrated by a question, take a step back and ask:

“What’s the simplest way to explain this?”

If you can reduce your answer to just a few sentences and it still makes sense, you’re on the right track.

This applies not just to essays but also to multiple-choice questions. Many students waste time second-guessing their instincts. They talk themselves out of correct answers by convincing themselves that the question must be more complex than it appears.

Instead of spiraling, do what Taurean Prince did: take a breath, strip the issue down to its fundamental components, and respond simply.

2. Why the Best Answers Sound Obvious in Hindsight

Prince’s response went viral because it was both sarcastic and brutally simple. But what makes it so memorable is the fact that, once you hear it, you can’t argue with it.

Many great legal arguments work the same way. When a judge issues a well-reasoned opinion, the conclusion often seems obvious—so much so that you might wonder why the case was even contested in the first place. The best lawyers and judges have a knack for cutting through the noise and getting straight to the heart of an issue.

This is an invaluable skill for the bar exam. Whether you’re writing an essay or answering an MBE question, your response should be clear and concise. If you find yourself writing a paragraph full of legal jargon without actually stating the rule, you’re doing it wrong.

Think about how you’d explain your answer if you only had one sentence. For example, let’s say you get an essay question about battery. The best answer isn’t some convoluted, multi-paragraph explanation about common law interpretations across different jurisdictions. Instead, it’s something like:

“Battery is the intentional harmful or offensive contact with another person.”

Simple. Direct. Correct.

If your answer doesn’t sound like something you could explain in a single breath, you might be overcomplicating it.

So how do you apply this lesson in your own bar exam preparation? Here are three practical steps:

1️⃣ Identify When You’re Overthinking

✅ The next time you get stuck on a question, pause and ask: Am I making this harder than it needs to be?

✅ If the rule seems obvious, trust it. Don’t assume the question is tricking you.

2️⃣ Practice Simplifying Your Answers

✅ Before writing out a full essay response, try explaining your answer in one sentence first.

✅ If you can’t do it, you probably don’t fully understand the rule yet—go back and review.

3️⃣ Use Frustration as a Guide

✅ If you find yourself getting irritated with a question, that might be a sign that you already know the answer.

✅ Instead of letting frustration throw you off, use it to remind yourself to simplify.

It’s fitting that Yale just punched its ticket to the 2024 NCAA Tournament, reminding us once again that Ivy Leaguers can hoop, too. And just like in 2016, when Yale shocked Baylor and sparked Taurean Prince’s iconic response, the lesson remains the same:

Yale won today because it put the ball in the basket more than Cornell did. And if you want to pass the bar exam, you need to put correct answers on the page—nothing more, nothing less.

So take a deep breath, trust your preparation, and remember: The simplest answer is often the best one.