After 2 years, the madness is back! The most exciting round of the tournament is approaching- the 1st Round. The round of 64! This round brings us 32 games of nail biters, occasional blowouts, and....UPSETS! Who is going to be this year's cinderella(s)? Below is 10 games with upset potential.
The list includes games from 7/10 up to 1/16. 9 seeds beating 8 seeds are technically upsets too but don't feel as much like an upset as the double-digit seeds winning.
Top 10
1. 10 Virginia Tech over 7 Florida
The Hokies come in as a 10-seed and have recently returned from Covid pause. They played North Carolina tough in their first game back after Covid. The Gators played well in January but since losing at home to South Carolina seem to have struggled down the stretch and have now lost 3 out of 4 with their only win being a 6 point win over Vanderbilt.
2. 10 Rutgers over 7 Clemson
The Scarlet Knights are back in the tournament for the 1st time in 30 years. They competed pretty well in a strong Big Ten this season. The Tigers were hot at the start of the season beating Alabama, Purdue, and Maryland but lately seem to be struggling especially away from home and recently upset in the ACC tournament by Miami.
3. 12 Winthrop over 5 Villanova
Jay Wright has been one of the best basketball coaches in the last decade winning two National championships and has made Villanova a perennial power. However, losing Colin Gillespie and drawing a team with 1 loss on the season will be a tough match-up. The Eagles have been great all season and know how to win. This game could go either way and should be a great one.
4. 12 Georgetown over 5 Colorado
The Hoyas played very well in the Big East Tournament winning 4 games in 4 days beating two other 5 seeds(Villanova and Creighton) on their way to punch their ticket. Will they continue their success? They can pull off the upset if it continues but the Buffaloes will be a tough test led by senior guard McKinley Wright and big man Evan Battey, one of the best duos in college basketball this season.
5. 12 Oregon State over 5 Tennessee
The Beavers beat 3 tournament teams(UCLA, Oregon, and Colorado) to punch their ticket to the Big Dance. They are 6-1 so far this March with all 6 wins coming away from home. They are hot right now but the question is will it continue? The Volunteers have been hot and cold all season. When they play their best, they can beat anyone. However, when they struggle to score, they can be vulnerable.
6. 11 UCLA/Michigan State over 6 BYU
The Cougars also dominated a good WCC this season. The committee respected the WCC by also rewarding BYU with a 6 seed. The Bruins and Spartans have the talent to pull off the upset. Injuries have hurt the Bruins down the stretch as inconsistency has hurt the Spartans. If BYU shoots like they did in the WCC final, they will be tough to beat.
7. 13 Ohio over 4 Virginia
The Bobcats almost won at Illinois early in the season and are lead by NBA prospect Jason Preston. Virginia has had their struggles this season when defending the 3, which was shown early on in their upset loss to San Francisco. The Cavaliers have also had to deal with COVID protocols which has delayed their travel to Indianapolis. However, Virginia is one of the best defensive teams in the nation, so it is hard to count them out. Of course, if Ohio can shoot a high percentage from 3, they will be hard to beat just like UMBC did that time.
8. 12 UC Santa Barbara over 5 Creighton
Creighton has been up and down all year. When they are playing well, they are one of the most efficient offensive teams and can scorch the nets like a Final Four contender as seen in the Big East tourney against Butler. After the Georgetown game, it is hard to tell which Creighton team we will get. UCSB has won 18 of 19 and are lead by Oregon State transfer JaQuori McLaughlin.The Gauchos are also a very efficient offensive team and shoot about 49% from the field. This game will likely depend on which Creighton team we see.
9. 14 Eastern Washington over 3 Kansas
This game is flying under the radar as an intriguing matchup. Eastern Washington is led by big man Tanner Groves. The Eagles have won 13 of their last 14 and played 3 Pac-12 teams(Arizona, Washington State, and Oregon) to narrow losses while leading for most of the games at Arizona and Washington State. Kansas has been battling COVID issues as three players are currently fighting it and have not joined the team in Indy yet. McCormack and Enaruna are expected to join later this week, but for those who have not had COVID, it takes time to build back up. With this given, this could be one to look at.
10. 13 North Texas over 4 Purdue
Purdue is the Big Ten that was in the middle of the top 4 and the bubble teams. The Boilermakers were challenged early by Liberty, Valparaiso, and Indiana State and picked up an early loss to Miami (FL). This results show that lesser opponents can hang with them. Purdue did pick it up though and finish 4th in the Big Ten, but primarily feasted on the middle and bottom of the Big Ten. North Texas comes in winning the C-USA in an Overtime thriller against Western Kentucky. The Mean Green played tight games at West Virginia and Loyola-Chicago, so they are somewhat battle tested. North Texas is not a great offensive team as they like to play slower and grind it out. Don't look for much scoring in this one as it could be a first to 50 situation.
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