Sleepers Ncaa Tournament

Andy Katz Tiers: Final Four sleepers galore in NCAA Tournament field; Andy Katz Tiers: Final Four sleepers galore in NCAA Tournament field. 1 like. 1 share. FOX Sports. 56m. College Basketball The tiers are continuing to take shape. There are favorites. There are contenders and the list of sleepers. 3 hours ago  Sleeper: SMU. Likely NCAA Tournament Teams: Houston. Bubble Teams: Wichita St, SMU, Memphis. Tournament Format: All 11 teams qualify with the top 4 getting byes to the quarterfinals. Recent History: This is the seventh year for the American Athletic Conference Tournament after the breakup of the Big East in 2013. Last year's tournament was. One could argue that the conference tournament champion auto-bid into the NCAA tournament has hurt the mid majors success in the NCAA tournament. Nothing like a deserving (27-5) regular season conference champion losing to a (15-17) team that got hot for a few games. NCAA Tournament Sleepers in Each Region That Could Make the Final Four South Region #7 Cincinnati. I really feel bad for the Bearcats, as I really feel like they deserved to be a better seed than what they got. I like Cincinnati to make easy work of No. 10 Iowa in the first round, but that sets up a likely showdown with one of my favorite teams.

It's getting to be that time of year, as March Madness is right around the corner. We're just more than a week from the NCAA Tournament kicking off.

At this point of the season we all know who the prohibitive favorites to take home a title are. Both Gonzaga and Baylor have jumped out from the pack and really anyone inside the top 10 has a shot to win it all. But there a few teams lurking just outside mainstream thought that have a great chance to make deep runs in the tournament.

Here's a look at five sleeper college basketball teams who could wind up winning the national champions this year. If you're looking for outside the box options in your bracket this year, consider these squads.

Houston

At this point, Houston probably shouldn't be considered a sleeper pick, but there are some out there who don't know how good the No. 7 Cougars really are. Kelvin Sampson's squad is for real and can hang at the highest levels of college basketball. A great, two-way squad, Houston ranks sixth in KenPom, and is ninth in both offensive and defensive efficiency. While the Cougars haven't played the toughest schedule, they've largely waltzed through it, and are 21-3.

Junior Quentin Grimes is their leading scorer (17.9 points per game) and can go nuclear in an instant. He's the kind of guy who can carry a team in tournament games. Fellow guards Marcus Sasser and DeJon Jarreau also help shoulder the load on offense.

More than anything, the Cougars defend. They're holding opponents to the lowest effective field goal percentage in the country. They make everything difficult for opponents, and on the offensive end they can shoot and hit free throws. While they're a bit undersized, the Cougars are a well-coached, well-balanced team that will be scary in the tournament.

San Diego State

Somehow, Brian Dutcher has managed to replicate Steve Fisher's wild success at San Diego State and even begin to surpass his predecessor. The Aztecs are fantastic this season, despite losing leading scorer Malachi Flynn to the NBA draft and third-leading scorer Yanni Wetzell to graduation. SDSU is 20-4 this season and won a Mountain West title with a balanced attack and some ferocious defense.

The 19th-ranked Aztecs are also 19th on KenPom, and are eighth in defensive efficiency. They lag a bit in offensive efficiency (48th), but shoot the lights out as a team (38.0 percent), don't turn the ball over, and rank 60th in effective field goal percentage (52.9 percent). A team that plays dogged defense and can shoot will always be dangerous in the tournament. The Aztecs are also loaded with veterans still upset they missed out on the tournament last year when they were 30-2 and ranked sixth in the country.

Gallery: 25 players to watch in the NCAA tournament (Yardbarker)

Seniors Matt Mitchell and Jordan Schakel lead the team, while massive junior forward Nathan Mensah patrols the paint. It's a balanced team that has all the ingredients to make a deep tournament run. The Aztecs suffered back-to-back losses to Utah State in mid-January and haven't dropped a game since. They're on an 11-game winning streak, but for some reason, people seem to have forgotten just how good this team is.

Michigan State

Tom Izzo has pulled a rabbit out of his hat late in the season and his Michigan State Spartans are on a roll. Michigan State won its first six games of the campaign, then went in the tank, losing 9 of their next 13, but two of those wins were over Nebraska and one came against Penn State, both horrific teams. Since then, the Spartans are on fire, having won five of seven, including victories over Illinois, Ohio State and Michigan, all of whom are currently ranked in the top 10 (Illinois is No. 3 and Michigan is No. 4).

Ncaa Tournament Dates

Michigan State struggled to find adequate guard play after four years with Cassius Winston running things. They instead relied heavily on Aaron Henry to get them out of jams when the offense broke down. That said, in their current streak, they've proven to be a balanced team, getting solid contributions from Joey Hauser, Josh Langford, Rocket Watts and sharpshooter Gabe Brown.

After a huge upset win over Michigan on Sunday, Sparty's star is on the rise. Michigan State is solidly in the tournament. Given Izzo's track record, the vast improvement the team has shown over the last month, Henry's big play ability and the veteran presence of Hauser and Langford, this team could surprise people later in the month. Don't count them out as a big-time sleeper.

Ncaa Tournament Dates

Michigan State struggled to find adequate guard play after four years with Cassius Winston running things. They instead relied heavily on Aaron Henry to get them out of jams when the offense broke down. That said, in their current streak, they've proven to be a balanced team, getting solid contributions from Joey Hauser, Josh Langford, Rocket Watts and sharpshooter Gabe Brown.

After a huge upset win over Michigan on Sunday, Sparty's star is on the rise. Michigan State is solidly in the tournament. Given Izzo's track record, the vast improvement the team has shown over the last month, Henry's big play ability and the veteran presence of Hauser and Langford, this team could surprise people later in the month. Don't count them out as a big-time sleeper.

Oklahoma State

The Big 12 is loaded this year. With Baylor, Kansas, Texas and West Virginia taking up all the oxygen in the room, 18-7 Oklahoma State has flown under the radar. But everyone should keep their eyes on the 12th-ranked Cowboys this month, as they could be poised to make a big run.

OSU ranks 36th in KenPom and is 63rd in offensive efficiency and 23rd in defensive efficiency. Those numbers don't jump off the page, but they do have one big thing going for them. Freshman Cade Cunningham is the best player in the country and will likely be the top pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. While he missed Saturday's win over West Virginia due to an ankle injury, he'll almost certainly play in the tournament.

Cunningham is a beast, a point-forward at 6-foot-8 and 2220 pounds, there's very little he can't do on a basketball court. This season he's averaging 19.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting 42.5 percent from 3-point range. He has a decent, balanced squad around him, but let's be real, this is all about Cunningham. It wouldn't be shocking if he led a Carmelo Anthony-like charge through the tournament.

UConn

Dan Hurley's squad can play and, now at full strength, is starting to show what it can do. The Huskies are 14-6 and have won four straight, more importantly they're now 10-2 when star James Bouknight suits up. Bouknight had elbow surgery in January, and was finally cleared in mid-February. Since his return, UConn is 5-1 with several convincing wins and a lone loss at Villanova.

Bouknight is a potential lottery pick who can get hot quickly. The sophomore is averaging 20.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. But he's not a lone solider out there. The Huskies rank 24th in KenPom and are 25th in offensive efficiency and 29th in defensive efficiency. Defensively, they don't allow opponents to hit shots, as they're holding foes to an effective field goal percentage of 46.8.

With Bouknight fully-healthy, UConn could easily make a big run in the tournament. He's the kind of high-level guard who can carry a team. But the Huskies guard and have enough around him to step up if he goes cold on offense. They're a team to watch this month.

Cinderella stories are what the big dance is all about, and it wouldn't surprise me if we have more than one in 2019. There are upsets every year, and finding those upsets can help you win your bracket.

In this article, I'll give my top 3 sleepers (schools outside the top 3 seeds) in each region, who I think could make some noise an potentially advance to the Sweet 16 and beyond.

One thing I look for is if the top seeds in a region are mid majors or having unprecedented success.

Find out how far I have each of these sleepers advancing in my bracket.

NCAA Tournament Sleepers in Each Region That Could Make the Final Four

South Region

#7 Cincinnati

I really feel bad for the Bearcats, as I really feel like they deserved to be a better seed than what they got. I like Cincinnati to make easy work of No. 10 Iowa in the first round, but that sets up a likely showdown with one of my favorite teams in the tournament in Tennessee. Getting past the Vols will be quite the challenge, but if the Bearcats can make it to the Sweet 16, they could be the surprise team out of the South to make the Final Four.

#12 Oregon

Oregon defeating No. 5 Wisconsin is actually the only upset I have in the first round in the South. The Ducks were a team coming into the year that many had picked in the Top 25, but a injury to star freshman Bol Bol really put this team behind the 8-ball early. The Ducks were a mere 15-12 with a 6-8 record in the Pac-12 as late as Feb. 23rd. Things clicked after that, as Oregon won 4 straight to close out the regular-season and carried that over to a Pac-12 title and automatic bid. I not only think they get by the Badgers, but I have them knocking off K-State to reach the Sweet 16.

#13 UC Irvine

While I have the Anteaters losing to No. 4 seed Kansas State, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see them pull off the upset. The Wildcats earned a share of the Big 12 regular-season title, but I think that has them a bit overvalued. Based on the numbers I would have had K-State closer to a No. 6 seed. Making matters worse, the Wildcats could be without All-Big 12 big man Dean Wade, who had to sit out the Big 12 Tournament. UC Irvine comes in having won 16 straight games and had road wins over Texas A&M and St. Mary's in non-conference play.

West Region

#4 Florida State

The Seminoles might just be the biggest sleeper in the tournament. While I have them losing to Gonzaga in the Sweet 16, this is a team that's capable of winning the whole thing. Florida State often gets overlooked with all the hype around the three No. 1 seeds in the ACC in Duke, Virginia and UNC, but the Seminoles are every bit as talented as those three. Not only were they one of the better teams in the best conference in the country, they had non-conference wins over both the SEC regular-season champs (LSU) and Big Ten regular-season champs (Purdue).

#6 Buffalo

The Bulls are the highest seeded mid-major not named Gonzaga in this year's field and many of you will likely recall last year's NCAA Tournament, where No. 13 Buffalo took down No. 4 Arizona 89-68. If you like strong offensive teams with veteran leadership, this team will definitely get your attention. The Bulls averaged 85 ppg and have 3 different seniors who average in double-figures. Their up-tempo in your face attack is also something that could give teams who haven't seen them before a lot of problems. If they can get by No. 3 Texas Tech in the round of 32, they might just make the Elite 8 or more.

#12 Murray State

Here's another No. 12 seed that I think could make some noise and take down No. 5 seed Marquette. Chances are you probably didn't catch a lot of Murray State games this year, but have at least heard the name Ja Morant. He's not just the best player on Murray State, some have him projected to go No. 2 overall behind Zion Williamson in next year's NBA draft. Morant averaged a double-double with 24.6 ppg and 10.0 apg. I can guarantee you the other teams in the West are hoping Morant and the Racers are knocked out early, as this is a team no one wants to face.

East Region

#4 Virginia Tech

Much like Florida State, Virginia Tech is another ACC team that gets overlooked with all the attention given to Duke, Virginia and North Carolina. The Hokies did something not a lot of other teams could do. They didn't crumble after losing their rock at point guard in senior Justin Robinson. A big reason for that is the dynamic duo of Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Kerry Blackshear. Not only will they have those two to carry them in the Big Dance, but Robinson is expected to return from injury. If he's anything close to what he was before he got hurt, this is a team that could not only make the Sweet 16, but punch a ticket to Minneapolis.

#10 Minnesota

The Gophers are one of those teams that I think surprised some that they made it. Sure, Minnesota won 21 games, but their non-conference wasn't all that challenging and they finished just 9-11 in the Big Ten. They were just 3-7 over their final 10 regular-season games, before beating Penn State in OT and pulling off the big upset against Purdue. I don't know that they are capable of making a deep run, but I do think they could pull off the upset against Louisville and they will certainly be familiar with their likely second round opponent in Michigan State.

#11 Belmont/Temple

My favorite sleeper in the East is the combination of #11 seeds Belmont and Temple. I think whoever wins the play-in game on Tuesday is more than capable of beating No. 6 Maryland. The Terps play six freshman and had a horrible showing in the Big Ten Tournament, losing to Nebraska, a team they had previously beat by 15 on the road. Not only do think the Belmont/Temple winner will advance to the Round of 32, I think they will make the Sweet 16.

Midwest Region

Sleepers In Ncaa Tournament

#5 Auburn

I'm sure there's a number of teams in the Midwest wondering how Auburn is in their bracket as a No. 5 seed. The Tigers got off to a bit of a slow start in SEC play, but closed out the season playing their best basketball. They won 4 straight to end the regular-season and went on to win the SEC Tournament, routing the Vol 84-64. This is a team that had wins over a lot of quality teams in non-conference, but arguably their most impressive out of conference performance came in a mere 6-point loss to Duke on a neutral site.

Ncaa Tournament Projections

#6 Iowa State

I was surprised to see the Cyclones this low, especially after Iowa State caught fire in route to another Big 12 Tournament title (won 4 of the last 6). When this team is on they are capable of beating any team in the country. All five starters averaged at least 9 ppg, led by Marial Shayok at 18.7 ppg. They also have a double-digit scorer in Lindell Wigginton (13.4 ppg) coming off the bench. The only problem is they need the shots to fall, as they aren't a great defensive team and struggle on the boards.

#7 Wofford Bet on it college.

Sleepers Ncaa Tournament

The Terriers enter the NCAA Tournament having won 20 straight games and have one of the best players that you likely haven't heard of in senior guard Fletcher Magee. For those that don't know, Magee is a legit sharpshooter, having made more than 500 3-pointers in his career. He hit 41% from long-distance this season and averages more than 20 ppg. We have seen similar type of players go off in the Big Dance. The only problem is the path to the Final Four couldn't be much tougher, as they will have to get by No. 2 Kentucky just to make the Sweet 16.