March Madness is upon us people. One of the most exciting things about the NCAA Tournament is that at any moment an upset can shake up our brackets and a Cinderella story can emerge. When building your bracket, it is important to be aware of the sleeper teams that could potentially defeat the higher seed and advance. Through expert analysis we try to pick the upsets that make the most sense, but the beauty of the tournament is that we never really know until the teams take the floor. Here are four lower seeded teams that have a great opportunity at making a run in this years’ tournament.
Florida Gulf Coast Eagles (14 Seed) 26-7
Four years ago the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles made a Sweet Sixteen run as a 15 seed, so them pulling off a few upsets in the big dance this year does not seem completely far fetched. Last year they were defeated by the North Carolina Tar Heels, who eventually lost in the championship, as a 16 seed. This year in their first match-up they are going up against Florida State, a team that is currently having issues on both ends of the floor. If Florida Gulf Coast is able to pull out this victory against the Seminoles, don’t be surprised if they are still hanging around a couple rounds into the tournament.
VCU Rams (10 Seed) 26-8
The VCU Rams are a team that poses a threat to pretty much anyone they face, especially in the tournament. In recent years the Rams have been known to get hot late in the season and pull off some pretty big upsets when the big dance comes around. Defensively, this isn’t quite the team that we have been used to seeing over the past few seasons for a number of reasons, but nonetheless they still can tap into that “Havoc” and make it very hard for the opposition. Under the leadership of point guard JeQuan Lewis and inside force Mo Allie-Cox, the Rams have more than enough make another tournament run.
Wichita State Shockers (10 Seed) (30-4)
The Shockers are red hot and entering the tourney on a 15 game winning streak. Everything is clicking. Offensively they rank among the best teams in the nation and they are no strangers to tournament action. They are experienced and peaking at the perfect time.Keep an eye out for these guys.
Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (12 Seed) (30-4)
This is another team that is on fire right now. They have 30 victories on the year and dominated their conference fairly easily. Last year they defeated Michigan State, and return this season as an even better team looking to build upon last years success. Behind Senior Forward JaCorey Williams they are poised to give a 5 seeded Minnesota team, who they match up very well against, a tough night.