Dark Horse?

[cap2nine]

Still a chance of a little shake-up but assuming the #1 and #2 seeds remain pretty well set with SU, UK, KU, MSU, Duke, UNC, Mizzu and OSU, who beyond them could crash the party in N. Orleans?

At #15 in the AP, Wichita St. is hardly under the radar but I really think they have the horses to run with the big boys. Stutz is an excellent center Ragland is deadly from long range, they have a pretty good assist to turnover ratio, they shoot free throws quite well and are top-heavy with seniors and juniors.

I could see them going a long, long way in the tourney. Glad they are projected in Kentucky's region right now.

Thoughts on any other "Cinderellas"?


***sorry, i was forced to add a poll to create the thread. please ignore it.

 

[Frozen]

Repost when the brackets come out.

 

[Marsh01]

Still a chance of a little shake-up but assuming the #1 and #2 seeds remain pretty well set with SU, UK, KU, MSU, Duke, UNC, Mizzu and OSU, who beyond them could crash the party in N. Orleans?

At #15 in the AP, Wichita St. is hardly under the radar but I really think they have the horses to run with the big boys. Stutz is an excellent center Ragland is deadly from long range, they have a pretty good assist to turnover ratio, they shoot free throws quite well and are top-heavy with seniors and juniors.

I could see them going a long, long way in the tourney. Glad they are projected in Kentucky's region right now.

Thoughts on any other "Cinderellas"?


***sorry, i was forced to add a poll to create the thread. please ignore it.

I am not buying Wichita State. Same reason why I am not buying Murray State. These teams have had so much attention brought onto them the past 4 months that they will not be sneaking up on anyone (like VCU did last year and Butler 2 years ago). Hell one can say they have had more coverage than a lot of the BCS schools (especially Murray State).

Give a good coach and a decent BCS team a shot at these 2 teams in the second round and lets see how they play. Not saying that they cant win 2 games in the tourney but this talk of them going to the final four is ridiculous.

I think the true cinderellas this year will be a decent to mid level BCS school that gets hot and makes a run at the FF. Florida State, Georgetown, Vanderbilt, UNLV. Someone like that.

After all of the upsets last year I really think that in the end it will be a mostly chalk final four.

 

[Knicks411]

I think Wichita State is a legitimately good team. They do well in Pomeroy, Sagarin, etc.

Murray State is a nice story, but I don't think they are all that good.

 

[690West]

very tasty. Jimmy Dowd can sometimes talk your ear off but he makes a mean Woodford Old Fashioned. Mary left for Rico's but she needed a change of scenery. Pear and Goat cheese salad sounds fem, but it kind of hits the spot.

 

[strumpfasaurus]

Kentucky

 

[MyMeloMyMan]

Purdue

 

[EastCoast2]

Iona

 

[PoppyHart]

There are about 40 teams that could reach the final four.

 

[GoCuse14]

Iowa State could sneak up on people

 

[madscientst]

Not exactly an unknown, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Marquette in the FF.

 

[Upstate]

Iona, UNLV, Creighton, and hopefully LBSU

 

[ORRange]

Wich.St. Longshot- Denver. Of course they would have to win Sunbelt but they have some nice wins over S.Miss., St. Marys, M.Tenn.St. and lost to Iona in OT. They shoot it really well but can't rebound like Iona.

 

[SU2NASA]

I'm going with Poll Choice.

 

[Garbs]

Not exactly an unknown, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Marquette in the FF.

I call BS, a 2 seed can't make the final 4

 

[CorduroyG]

Marquette was my sleeper team a month ago, but now that theyre gonna be a 2 or 3 seed they aint much of a sleeper

 

[BuffOrange]

I am not buying Wichita State. Same reason why I am not buying Murray State. These teams have had so much attention brought onto them the past 4 months that they will not be sneaking up on anyone (like VCU did last year and Butler 2 years ago). Hell one can say they have had more coverage than a lot of the BCS schools (especially Murray State).

Give a good coach and a decent BCS team a shot at these 2 teams in the second round and lets see how they play. Not saying that they cant win 2 games in the tourney but this talk of them going to the final four is ridiculous.

I dunno man. I'm not naive enough to think 19yr old kids don't watch sportscenter or anything. But they also know it's a single elimination tournament. By the 2nd weekend they've all had 4-6 days to hear everyone from Scott Van Pelt to Charles Barkley talk about this awesome/scrappy/athletic/lights out shooting team pulling off a big 2nd round upset. I think that prevents a favorite from "getting snuck up on" more than the amount of college gameday blurbs in January.
Besides I don't think either of these teams this year is any more hyped than Butler 2years ago, who was on tv a bunch and ranked in the top 10 at one point.

As mentioned the advanced metrics rating systems seem to think a lot more of Wichita than Murray.