The NCAA Tournament bracket was announced yesterday. It’s time to start filling out a bracket and we’re here to help. We’ve analyzed the field and found potential cinderella teams for the 2015 NCAA Tournament. Here are our top 10 dark horse teams seeded eighth or lower:
10) Purdue – The Boilermakers have wins over four tournament teams. They’ve got the size that can make them a tough match-up but are looking at Kentucky in the round of 32 and that’ll make it a big challenge to make it out of the first weekend.
9) Ohio State – The Buckeyes are talented and have NBA players on their team. If their offense is running smoothly they’re a dangerous team that could make it out of the first weekend. However, they’ll be tested from the start against the havoc of VCU.
8) Boise State – The Broncos tied for the Mountain West regular season title but got upset in the conference tournament by eventual champion Wyoming. They’ve got a favorable draw in the tournament so if they coming in hitting their 3-pointers, they can go to the Sweet 16.
7) St. John’s – If not for Chris Obekpa being suspended the Johnnies could be #1 on this list. They have a talented team that has shown they can compete with some of the nation’s best this season. However they’ve stumbled with two ugly losses before the NCAA Tournament.
6) Buffalo – Former Duke star, Bobby Hurley, is coaching the Bulls to a great season. They won the MAC regular season and tournament championship. They lead Kentucky at Rupp Arena in the second half. This is a team to look out for and you know they’d love to get another shot at the Wildcats in the Sweet 16.
5) Stephen F. Austin – The Lumberjacks have great stats and know how to win in the tournament after knocking off VCU last year. They won their conference regular season and tournament which is a good sign for teams to pull upsets. If not for a tough first game in the NCAA Tournament this year, they’d be #1 on this list.
4) LSU – The Tigers took Kentucky to the wire this year and have shown they can win on the road as well. Unfortunately they’ve had some bad losses. If they come ready to play, they’re very dangerous because of their size and athleticism. Unfortunately, they draw #3 on this list in their first game.
3) NC State – The Wolfpack own wins over Duke and at North Carolina. They’ve had some losses that cost them from being seeded higher. Their ceiling is very high though. They’ll be a tough out in the tournament.
2) Texas – Rumors have this team playing for Rick Barnes’ job. They’ve got a talented squad that has quality wins over higher seeded teams in the tournament. They’ve got to come out focused and they could challenge everyone in their path on the way to the regional final.
1) BYU – They are #1 on our underseeded teams list and own a win at Gonzaga. BYU is in the first four and a team from there has made a run the past few seasons. The Cougars should be motivated and can play with anyone they’ll see the first weekend.
See more from our 2015 Bracket Dominator and get the info you need to win your NCAA Tournament pool.
Stay updated with the latest from SportsFormulator during the 2015 NCAA Tournament by connecting with us on Twitter – Facebook – Google+ – Instagram.