The most iconic and entertaining aspects of March Madness are the heart-breaking disappointments and bracket-busting upsets. From Michigan State’s exit at the hands of a 15-seed to Loyola-Chicago’s memorable run, the NCAA always puts together a bracket full of potential Cinderellas. This year’s tournament is no different. We see many exciting matchups in the first round.
Belmont (11) vs Maryland (6)
Belmont has a serious chance to take out Maryland in the Round of 64. The Bruins lead the nation in assists per game (19.9), and their 1.71 assist-to-turnover ratio is good enough for second behind West Region No. 1 seed Gonzaga. Equally impressive is Belmont’s 87.4 PPG, second in the nation only to Gonzaga again. An underachieving Maryland team is prime to fall to the explosive Belmont Bruins.
UC Irvine (13) vs Kansas State (4)
UC Irvine’s upset potential lies in the hands of Elston Jones and Jonathan Gallaway. The two big men pose serious threats to Kansas State after dominating their conference all year (15-1). UC Irvine leads the nation in interior defense, holding opponents to an interior shooting percentage under 40. The Anteaters (what a terrible name) also lead the nation in offensive rebounds. Hard, physical play is always a key factor in major upsets. If the Irvine big men can dominate Kansas State’s inside, this matchup could break a lot of brackets early.
Murray St (12) vs Marquette (5)
The Racers are a high-scoring offensive unit, as they come into the tournament averaging 83.3 points per game this season. Potential lottery pick Ja Morant is the leading scorer for the team, putting up 24.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 10 assists a game this season. Murray State is coming in hot looking to topple a sliding Marquette, who lost to Seton Hall, Villanova, and Creighton late in the season. To pile on, Marquette has below-average perimeter defense and the highest turnover rate in their conference. Ja Morant’s red-hot Racers aren’t to be taken lightly in the face of struggling Marquette.
Wofford (7) vs Seton Hall (10)
Seton Hall’s chance at making it out of the first round is in the hands of phenom Myles Powell. Powell raised his play to another level during the Big East tournament, breaking the Big East record for points in a half. All season long, the PG has put Seton Hall on his shoulders (24 PPG). To help out the interior, 6’11” Sandro Mamukelashvili tends to dominate the boards, putting Seton Hall in a great position to upset Wofford. Wofford is untested. The three times they played a top-25 team, the Terriers lost by an average of 24. Let’s see how they do against the battle-tested Pirates.
Although these four upsets caught my eye, the tournament is sure to be full of them. Stay tuned for the second edition after the round of 64.
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