Upsets are the most exciting part of March Madness, and you will likely need to add some to your bracket if you want to win your pool.
The 2017 NCAA tournament was light on first-round upsets, with only No. 12 Middle Tennessee State advancing with a seed lower than No. 11. However, the 2018 tournament could feature a much different opening weekend with plenty of chaos.
Here is a look at some possible upset-minded teams along with the rest of the bracket essentials for this month.
NCAA Tournament Bracket
Printable bracket available via NCAA.com.
Top Upset Picks
No. 12 South Dakota St. vs. No. 5 Ohio State
Any discussion surrounding South Dakota State should begin and end with Mike Daum.
The forward is one of the best players in college basketball in any conference, averaging 23.8 points and 10.4 rebounds per game this year. He wasn't at his best in the Summit League Championship against South Dakota but still finished with 25 points and 11 rebounds in the win.
Daum makes an impact all over the court and ranked sixth in the country in win shares, per Sports Reference.
While opponents could put all of their focus on stopping Daum last season, David Jenkins Jr. and Reed Tellinghuisen have shown this year they can carry the weight on offense if needed.
This will be South Dakota State's fifth NCAA tournament appearance in the last seven years, and third in a row, but the team is yet to win a game. With the talent on the roster, that could change in 2018.
As good as Ohio State has been this season, beating the Jackrabbits won't be easy.
No. 11 Loyola-Chicago vs. No. 6 Miami
Although not well-known nationally, Loyola-Chicago might be one of the best teams no one watched this season.
The Ramblers enter the tournament ranked 41st in the country in efficiency, according to KenPom.com, among the highest mid-majors in college basketball. The key is a very Virginia-esque approach, using a slow tempo and great team defense.
Loyola-Chicago holds opponents to just 62.2 points per game, good for fifth-lowest in the country, also keeping teams to just 32.9 percent shooting from three-point range. Playing in the Missouri Valley Conference helped, but even Florida was held to just 59 points in a December upset.
With an efficient offense featuring six or seven legitimate outside scoring threats and four upperclassmen in the starting lineup, the team has all the tools necessary to pull off an upset or two in the tournament.
Against Miami, a squad with some good wins as well as some bad losses, this could be an upset.
No. 12 Murray St. vs. No. 5 West Virginia
A 13-game winning streak and a 26-5 overall record makes Murray State a dangerous team entering March Madness.
Jonathan Stark is the player to watch after averaging 21.8 points per game. The senior averaged 21.9 PPG last season but has improved his efficiency, keeping his scoring numbers high despite taking almost two fewer attempts per game. He has also cutting down on turnovers to keep the offense running smoothly.
Freshman Temetrius Morant has also taken a lot of the pressure off him by running the point, averaging 6.4 assists per game.
Guard play is important this time of year with offenses sometimes requiring someone to take over late in possessions. This is especially important against a West Virginia squad that loves to press all game long and forces 16.5 turnovers per game.
Like Stephen F. Austin two years ago, Murray State has the backcourt talent necessary to handle the pressure and pull off the upset.
No. 12 New Mexico St. vs. No. 5 Clemson
A team that plays great defense and rebounds the basketball is going to be successful at any level.
That is what New Mexico State has done throughout the season, limiting opponents to one shot per possession and usually a difficult one. Unlike other mid-majors, the squad also doesn't rely upon three-pointers and instead is willing to get easier shots inside.
The question is whether the team's success will carry over against a power-conference opponent.
New Mexico State lacks size and its best interior player, Jemerrio Jones, is only 6'5". Although he ranked second in the country with 13.2 rebounds per game, it might not be as easy against bigger frontcourts.
Still, the style of play worked in a win over Miami earlier this season, while leading scorer Zach Lofton can get it done against anyone.
Clemson has five losses in the last eight games, opening things up for a potential early exit in this tournament.
No. 11 UCLA vs. No. 6 Florida
While UCLA was one of the last teams in the field, it can do plenty of damage from there.
One of the things that helped the resume was having wins against quality opponents, including Kentucky and Arizona.
The Bruins also swept rival USC, which was likely enough to earn an at-large spot over the Trojans.
Aaron Holiday is one of the best pure scorers in the Pac-12 and he has a lot of help inside between Thomas Welsh and Kris Wilkes.
Although UCLA struggled on the road this year with a 3-7 record, the squad is dangerous when playing at its best. St. Bonaventure could be a serious challenge in the play-in game, but the Bruins have a chance to make a deep run if they survive Dayton.
from Bleacher Report - Front Page http://ift.tt/2FvGngP
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