March Madness Cinderella predictions

With NIL being thrown around more in the bigger conferences, the Cinderella team is on the verge of extinction.

Last season, one of the only notable upsets was when McNeese beat Clemson as a 12 seed. This year, though, we’re hoping for a more riveting March.

Michael’s Picks

UCF - Men’s

UCF is 20-7, and I have it as my Cinderella team. I was scared to pencil them in as a team that could go to the final four because of their protected seeding as an eight or nine seed.

Though those seeds don't usually go on a run as they have to play the number one team in the round of 32, if they can win their first round, this team can beat any team in the country.

UCF is 9-6 in arguably the best conference in all of college basketball, with wins against the top teams in the conference like Texas Tech, Kansas and BYU. This team is very streaky, going on three to four game winning streaks before rattling off two losses.

But in March, to be a Cinderella, all you need is three straight wins, and the level of wins they do get when they are playing at their best is why I have confidence in this team.

TCU - Men’s

The BIG 12 is a stacked Conference and is why I could see either of these teams going far.

TCU has been an unlucky team according to advanced luck metrics, having had an insanely tough schedule, and is in a prime seeding position to go on a run.

11 and 10 seeds from power-five conferences have gone on a run three times in the last 4 years. They also have the same thing as UCF, where they can beat anyone in the country but also lose to a team like Notre Dame.

It just depends on what version of the Horn Frogs we are getting: the world beaters who took Michigan to the brink of a loss or the team that lost to New Orleans University on opening day.

Gwen’s Picks

Santa Clara - Men’s

This Broncos team is good, and they’ve given Gonzaga solid testing both times that they’ve played. They play in an underrated West Coast Conference, and their No. 3 ranking in conference is not something that should be overlooked.

Santa Clara has taken advantage of the transfer portal, and they’ve taken solid bench players from Power 5 teams, and they’ve turned them into starters of a team that could end up on a Cinderella run.

The Broncos should be fun to watch this year. With their projected 11 seed, they could become a fan favorite through the Sweet Sixteen round.

Washington - Women’s

The Huskies aren’t necessarily a Cinderella in the traditional sense that they would be coming out of nowhere to spring an upset. They’ve been upsetting teams since early in January when they beat a Michigan team that seems like they could be Final Four-bound.

Washington has been constantly underrated. They were ranked earlier in the year, but they’ve suffered close losses to teams that they’ll be fighting for a spot in the NCAA tournament. Not an ideal position to be in as a team in the middle of the pack in the Big 10.

The Huskies have Avery Howell and Sayvia Sellers, who have been their main contributors, but they’re expected to play well. If Elle Ladine can play her best, though, there is no reason that the Elite Eight couldn’t be a possibility for Washington.

Nick’s Pick

When we think of March Madness Cinderellas, it can be hard to pinpoint who could cause some chaos in the bracket.

If you want to find the best of these prospective teams, without anything wrong on their docket, look no further than the Miami (OH) Redhawks of the Mid-American Conference (MAC).

They have a current record of 28-0, yes 28-0, and are looking to make the tournament for the first time since 2007. They’ll certainly be in if they continue their winning ways, with possibly a loss to spare.

They don’t play in a great conference, with the next best team in the MAC, Akron, ranked 71st in KenPom, which is actually ahead of Miami (OH), who is 83rd. Miami (OH) beat Akron back on January 3rd, 76-73. If these two match up again in the conference tournament, expect a similar game.

Their best nonconference win is probably Wright State of the Horizon League, which is only ranked at 157 on KenPom.

So you might ask, if they don’t have any good wins, how can they go far in the NCAA Tournament, where they will play much better teams?

Simply put, they score the basketball and score efficiently. The Redhawks average an astonishing 91.6 points per game. That’s good for number 2 in the entire country, only behind Alabama.

Miami (OH) also leads the nation in field goal percentage at 52.9%, meaning they put the ball in the basket more often than they don’t. They are also 6th in the country in 3-point percentage at 39.5%.

They also have seven players who average over 10 points per game, and none of them average more than 14.6 points per game. The top 2 scorers are tied at 14.6, and they are Brant Byers and Peter Suder.

So, for a team that lost by 2 in the MAC championship game to Akron last year, expect them to come with a vengeance, maybe being the team the glass slipper fits next.

Michael Fechter is a first-year journalism major. To contact him, please email maf6740@psu.edu.

Gwen Evans is a second-year broadcast journalism major. To contact her, please email gme5218@psu.edu.

Nick Bannon is a first-year broadcast journalism major. To contact him, please email nwb5355@psu.edu