NCAA tournament: Underdogs most likely to pull an opening-round upset

The most memorable moments of last year's NCAA tournament came before the round of 64 was even over. Within hours of one-another, No. 15 seeds Norfolk State and Lehigh had each sprung memorable upsets, toppling Missouri and Duke, respectively. There's no guarantee this year's tournament will produce such opening-round drama, but there are a number of double-digit seeds capable of toppling favorites. Here's a look at eight that are most likely to pull an opening-round upset: – Jeff Eisenberg

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USA TODAY Sports Photo By Marilyn Indahl-USA TODAY Sports Tue, Feb 26, 2013 7:40 PM EST

Minnesota (20-12, 11th seed in South): Can a team that lost 11 of its last 16 games be a threat to win in the NCAA tournament? In Minnesota's case, yes. Thanks to the size and physicality of a frontcourt anchored by senior Trevor Mbakwe, the Gophers are third in the nation in offensive rebounding percentage, grabbing 44.3 percent of their own misses. That's a formula for success against an undersized UCLA team that has struggled on the glass all ... more
Minnesota (20-12, 11th seed in South): Can a team that lost 11 of its last 16 games be a threat to win in the NCAA tournament? In Minnesota's case, yes. Thanks to the size and physicality of a frontcourt anchored by senior Trevor Mbakwe, the Gophers are third in the nation in offensive rebounding percentage, grabbing 44.3 percent of their own misses. That's a formula for success against an undersized UCLA team that has struggled on the glass all season. The Bruins will also be playing only their second game without second-leading scorer Jordan Adams, who broke his foot last Friday. less