Cinderella teams are the best part of the NCAA Tournament's first weekend and picking them correct is a necessity for anybody expecting to win his or her office pool.
Some picks!
Stephen F. Austin: The "F" in Stephen F. Austin should stand for "Familiar," since this is the third straight year the Lumberjacks have won the Southland championship. You want dominance? They are a remarkable 59-1 in the league over that stretch, which is why senior Thomas Walkup will end his career as one of the most decorated players in school history.
Can the 14th-seeded Lumberjacks stun the West Virginia Mountaineers in the East Regional? BB says: YES!
Hawaii: It's been 14 long years since the team from the small state reached the Big Dance, but the Rainbow Warriors are back thanks to a player who is hardly tiny. Forward Stefan Jankovic is 6-foot-11 and averages 16 points and seven rebounds. It is never easy on Hawaii, when it will have to make the long trip into another time zone to play these games, but it's always better when you've got a 27-5 record and a player like Jankovic.
Can the No. 13 seeded Rainbow Warriors stun the California Bears in the South Regional? BB says: YES!
Chattanooga Mocs: What's a Moc? Well, it's short for Mockingbirds, the state Tennessee bird who are "are fiercely territorial creatures which protect their homes with courage," according to the team's website. Fierce is a good word for this team, which has wins against Dayton, Georgia and Illinois out of conference and an impressive 29.5 record overall. The way this team plays defense, no major-conference opponent wants to face it in March.
Can the No. 12 seeded Mocs stun the Indiana Hoosiers in the East Regional? BB says: YES!
South Dakota State: These Jackrabbits mean business, as silly as that sentence sounds. This is their third appearance in the NCAA Tournament in the past five years, not bad for a program that only recently made the transition to Division 1. Will they have a shot at a first-round upset? Maybe, if redshirt freshman Mike Daum, who has scored in double digits in 20 straight games, continues to play at a high level.
--BracketBaby
Some picks!
Stephen F. Austin: The "F" in Stephen F. Austin should stand for "Familiar," since this is the third straight year the Lumberjacks have won the Southland championship. You want dominance? They are a remarkable 59-1 in the league over that stretch, which is why senior Thomas Walkup will end his career as one of the most decorated players in school history.
Can the 14th-seeded Lumberjacks stun the West Virginia Mountaineers in the East Regional? BB says: YES!
Hawaii: It's been 14 long years since the team from the small state reached the Big Dance, but the Rainbow Warriors are back thanks to a player who is hardly tiny. Forward Stefan Jankovic is 6-foot-11 and averages 16 points and seven rebounds. It is never easy on Hawaii, when it will have to make the long trip into another time zone to play these games, but it's always better when you've got a 27-5 record and a player like Jankovic.
Can the No. 13 seeded Rainbow Warriors stun the California Bears in the South Regional? BB says: YES!
Chattanooga Mocs: What's a Moc? Well, it's short for Mockingbirds, the state Tennessee bird who are "are fiercely territorial creatures which protect their homes with courage," according to the team's website. Fierce is a good word for this team, which has wins against Dayton, Georgia and Illinois out of conference and an impressive 29.5 record overall. The way this team plays defense, no major-conference opponent wants to face it in March.
Can the No. 12 seeded Mocs stun the Indiana Hoosiers in the East Regional? BB says: YES!
South Dakota State: These Jackrabbits mean business, as silly as that sentence sounds. This is their third appearance in the NCAA Tournament in the past five years, not bad for a program that only recently made the transition to Division 1. Will they have a shot at a first-round upset? Maybe, if redshirt freshman Mike Daum, who has scored in double digits in 20 straight games, continues to play at a high level.
--BracketBaby
