Without fail, every single year in March Madness there is a Cinderella team that shocks the whole world with their performance. Most avid basketball fans try to predict the 64-team bracket and some get close but do not succeed. The magical runs of these underdogs is what makes the games so entertaining to watch. People love to see new players and teams rise. College Basketball is known for its blue bloods like Kansas, Kentucky, UNC, and Duke, but the tournament gives other teams a chance to glimpse the same glory as the blue bloods can achieve.
The Mountain West champions have arrived! This conference is never predictable. The Rams cap off an excellent season with a ten-game win streak. The team has gotten better and now look to make some noise. Colorado State plays physically, shoots efficiently, and has immense momentum. The Rams play a physical brand of basketball that helps them out rebound opponents. Colorado State averaged 35 rebounds per game this season. The Rams shot a solid average of 47.09% from the field. The main contributor to Colorado State’s overall success this season was their star player, Nique Clifford. The Colorado State Senior became the second player in Mountain West history to record 600 points, 300 rebounds, and 100 assists in a single season. The final and most proving fact is that including this year’s tournament, the Rams have made three of the last four March Madness events, proving their winning culture and experience in March.
Akron is a gritty, smash-mouth basketball team that most contenders want to veer away from this year. The Zips won the MAC with their gritty comeback victory over Miami of Ohio. Akron found themselves down 12 at half, but were able to squeeze out a 76 to 74 victory with the help of Nate Johnson’s buzzer beater. The Zips have a quick zip to their offense, they averaged 84.8 points this season with a average scoring margin of +10.3. Akron’s tempo and pace is what makes them so dangerous, but they aren’t just a one dimensional team, they have a physical factor to them as well. The Zips average 39.5 rebounds per game, amplifying a strong physical presence that allows them to seize second-chance opportunities. Akron circulates and distributed the ball efficiently allowing their depth on and off the bench to score.
The Missouri Valley champions are no team to underestimate. The Drake Bulldogs have made three consecutive tournament appearances. Drake won its conference for the first time since 2008. The Bulldogs boasted a strong defensive performance for the latter end of the season. They won their last seven, while keeping opponents to an average of 50.3 points per game. Drake has experience and has shown they can perform in critical moments of the game. The Bulldogs secured two non-conference versus Vanderbilt and Kansas State, proving their ability to succeed against top programs like the ones that compete in March Madness.
Colorado State, Akron, and Drake all show key traits of what a Cinderella has featured in past tournaments. The beauty of March Madness is that teams like these have equal chances to claim victory on the biggest stage in college basketball. The NCAA is filled with countless competent basketball teams that are excellently showcased. Year after Year, fans look back and regret not selecting underdogs to win games in March. The name greatly defines what happens throughout. It’s going to chaos, the tournament will be crazy, and it will be filled with madness.
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