“March Madness” has made sports fans crazy every year because of the competitive nature of this tournament. The magic of a Cinderella team can make the nation proud and impressed that they busted some brackets. There is always a surprise in the tournament every year. The three schools I’m about to list are the best Cinderella candidates for this year’s men’s tournament. So let’s get this show on the road and dive into the Madness!
1. McNeese State
The Cowboys of McNeese State are back in the tournament once again and have an electric team that is led by Will Wade, who is getting a lot of attention from the Power 5 schools for a potential head coaching job after this season.
The Cowboys are amongst the best teams in the country in terms of potential Cinderella’s because of the dominance they had in the Southland conference this year. They played Alabama and Mississippi State close this year as the SEC was the best conference. Look for McNeese State to cause the Clemson Tigers some problems as the Cowboys could be poised for a Sweet 16 run at least.
2. Drake
The 30-3 Drake Bulldogs went undefeated in the non-conference schedule with some impressive wins over teams like the Vanderbilt Commodores that made the tournament. The Bulldogs are also one of the top teams in the nation in terms of defensive metrics and are the 11-seed in the West Region.
They will match up with the Missouri Tigers. They have had some struggles this season with teams that can play great defense. Look for the Bulldogs to be a bracket-buster this tournament. They have the potential for the ultimate Cinderella run like Loyola Chicago in 2018.
3. UC San Diego
In their first year eligible as a Division 1 team, they made the NCAA Tournament and are one of the most surprising teams that nobody even knows about to this point in the tournament. The Tritons have won 15 straight games heading into this tournament and have some impressive wins including a win over Utah State who also made the tournament this year.
This Tritons team could make some noise thanks to their defense which only allows 61.6 points per game and their leader Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones. Their first opponent, the Michigan Wolverines, is playing on Thursday after winning the Big Ten Tournament on Sunday. Fatigue could be a factor for the Wolverines. The Tritons are a sneaky 12-seed pick that could see a Sweet 16 run.
Conclusion
A couple of Honorable Mentions include VCU and Liberty from the Commonwealth of Virginia and Vanderbilt led by former JMU Head Coach Mark Byington who has experience as a 12-seed coach pulling off the upset against Wisconsin last year.
This year’s Cinderella potential is pretty high, especially with the three teams that I mentioned in this piece. This is one of my favorite times of the year and Total Apex Sports will have articles throughout the rest of March on the tournament. I love this tournament because of the Cinderella’s who make names for themselves throughout the tournament.
