It seems like every year there is a team or multiple teams that shock the world and make a run into the second week of the tournament. Last year, there were three teams, Stanford, Dayton, and Tennessee that all made at least the Sweet 16, while the Flyers made it all the way to the Elite 8. Here is a preview some of this year's familiar and new bracket busters.
The We Almost Made It Crew
Stephen F. Austin: Last year, Desmond Haymond's four point play was the highlight for the Lumberjacks as it tied things up at 77-all against VCU. His three-pointer against the Rams in overtime propelled them into one of the greatest 12-5 upsets in recent memory. This year, they try to take it one round further by making it to the Sweet 16 after losing to UCLA in the Round of 32.
The Lumberjacks return eight members from their team last year including forward Jacob Parker. Parker, a senior forward from Oklahoma, is playing well with averaging 14 points and 6 boards a game. The Lumberjacks are well equipped with a deep roster as they have nine players that average around fifteen minutes per game on the year.
The Lumberjacks drew Utah in an intriguing 5-12 matchup as the Lumberjacks have one of the top scoring offenses while Utah boasts a top fifteen scoring defense. This game will be determined by who controls the pace of the game, and if the Lumberjacks can do that, they have an excellent chance of knocking off Utah. If they were to win, they would await either a struggling Georgetown squad or underdog Eastern Washington which are both winnable games.
Harvard: For two years in a row, Harvard has won their first game of the tournament, knocking off New Mexico and Cincinnati. However, they were knocked off both times in their second game, with their best shot against seventh-seeded Michigan State in which they lost 80-73.
They are returning nearly their whole team from last year's squad which knocked of Cincinnati. This squad is led by senior guard Wesley Saunders, and he is averaging 16 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals a game showing he can get it done on both ends of the court. Just like the Lumberjacks, they have nine players that average a solid amount of game time as their top nine all average ten minutes plus per game. The only thing they truly lack is size in the frontcourt which could bode problems against North Carolina.
To knock off UNC, the Crimson are going have to dictate tempo and keep it as slow as possible because things are not going to go the Crimson's way if it goes into a barnburner. Harvard has a tough road which includes Arkansas or Wofford if they beat UNC, so they're going to need back to back games of their highest caliber to get into the Sweet 16.
The Let's Dance Twice Team
Dayton: Last year, the Flyers made a phenomenal run all the way to the Elite 8 knocking off in-state rivals Ohio State, Syracuse, and Stanford along the way before losing to Florida. With only two seniors last year, Dayton returns a veteran team with the experience to get back to at least the Sweet 16. The squad is coached by Archie Miller and is returning two key members from last year's squad, Jordan Sibert and Dyshawn Pierre.
They have received a massive boost this year thanks to more contributions from Kendall Pollard and Scoochie Smith who were regularly players coming off of the bench. They kick off their tournament at home due to being put in a play-in game against Boise State.
If they get by that, they have a fantastic chance of knocking off Providence because momentum from a win in their play-in game. With Oklahoma possibly after that, the Flyers are going need to shoot lights out from the field to knock off the Sooners.
The Time to Relive the Magic Teams
Valparaiso: In 1998, Valparaiso made a run to the Sweet 16 and that magical moment all started thanks to now head coach, Bryce Drew. Bryce Drew hit the game-winning three-pointer against Ole Miss in the first round. A win over Florida State sent them to the Sweet 16, but Rhode Island ended the Cinderella story for the 13th seeded Crusaders.
Bryce Drew's squad was projected to finish fourth in the Horizon League, but they only suffered three league losses on its way to sweeping the regular season and conference tournament titles in the Horizon League. Sophomore forward Alec Peters is far and away the star player on this team averaging 17 points and 7 boards.
Just like 98, they are ranked thirteenth, and they kick off their tournament against Maryland, who maybe a little complacent being robbed of a three seed. If the Crusaders can catch them off guard, they can go on a run into the Sweet 16 as West Virginia and Buffalo should not scare them.
Davidson: In 2008, Davidson took it one round further than Valparaiso did in 1998 by making it to the Elite 8 and were a shot away from the Final Four. This improbable run was led by a man you all may know pretty well because of this and his stardom in the NBA, Stephen Curry.
Steph Curry was probably one of the greatest one-man shows in NCAA Tournament history. Curry had 40 points against Gonzaga, 30 on Georgetown, and 33 on Wisconsin leading them to comebacks in their first two games.
This time around, Bob McKillop's squad has a much more balanced squad. All five starters average at least nine points per game, led by Tyler Kalinoski. They start their tournament against seventh-seeded Iowa which is a very winnable game.
Should they knock off Iowa, they are likely to meet familiar foes, Gonzaga. Gonzaga should be wary of Davidson because of the history between them, and McKillop's squad is more dangerous this time around. Gonzaga has been poor in the first two rounds in recent history, don't be surprised if Davidson continues to pour on the misery on Gonzaga.
The New Boys
Wyoming: The Cowboys were a bid-stealer out in the Mountain West to earn their first NCAA Tournament bid since 2002, knocking off San Diego State in the conference tournament final to shrink the bubble. Not many of you are probably going to be familiar with their team, but you might be familiar of one player because of his dad, Larry Nance Jr. This young man is the shining star of this Cowboys roster. This young man stuffs the stat sheet with 16 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal, and a block which makes him a standout player to watch in the tournament.
They have a tricky matchup against Northern Iowa, who is also defensively sound like the Cowboys in the always dangerous 5-12 matchup. Should they squeak by Northern Iowa, an undermanned, poor shooting Louisville squad or an upset-minded UC Irvine await. With a star player, the Cowboys are likely to get by UC Irvine if they meet them, and if they were to meet Louisville, they should be prepared for another defensive battle between both sides.
Buffalo: The Bulls of Buffalo knocked off top-seeded Central Michigan in the conference tournament final to clinch their first ever bid to the Big Dance. Not many people know much about Buffalo, but what you should know is that they are led by ex-Duke point guard and national champion Bobby Hurley.
The shooting of the Bulls, especially Justin Moss and Shannon Evans, are going to be important if they are going to knock off the fifth-seeded West Virginia Mountaineers. Buffalo shoots the ball well unlike West Virginia who may not have star guard Juwan Staten. As previously stated, Buffalo is in the path which involves Maryland and Valparaiso.
Eastern Washington: Last but not least, is the Eastern Washington Eagles. The Eagles booked their place in the Big Dance for the first time since 2004 with a Big Sky tournament title over Montana. The Eagles boast the third-highest scoring offense in the NCAA with 80.3 points per game, and also boast the NCAA's leading scorer.
Tyler Harvey averages 23 points a game and will be a player to watch out for in the tournament because of that. They face upset-prone Georgetown in their first game. Georgetown has been upset by a double-digit seed in their last five NCAA Tournament appearances including losses to a 14 and 15-seed, which are Ohio and Florida Gulf Coast respectively.
As it was mentioned earlier, Eastern Washington is in the Stephen F. Austin part of the draw where they would match up with either the Lumberjacks or the Utes. If they were to matchup with the Utes, it would be quite an interesting matchup because the Utes can score but are also defensively sound which could bode a problem for Tyler Harvey. If other players can step up should they meet the Utes, Tyler Harvey could be able to open up and pour it on for the Eagles.