March Madness: Which underdogs could wreck your bracket in the first round?
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Every year, we dream of an NCAA tournament bracket with most of our teams getting through at least the first weekend. A perfect bracket won't happen, but one that isn't torn up by Thursday night of the first round would be nice.
We also know March Madness doesn't work that way.
The chaos of the tournament and the havoc on your Yahoo picks is part of the charm of the event. There are big upsets every year in the first round, but perhaps we can get ahead of some of those bracket-busting games by identifying which underdogs could win in the first round.
Here are some potential first-round upsets, with the point spreads from BetMGM:
No. 11 Oregon (+1.5) vs. No. 6 South Carolina
By point spread, this wouldn't be a huge upset. But it's a good chance to take an 11 seed to advance. Oregon has a good coach in Dana Altman and was getting better late in the season, culminating with a Pac-12 tournament championship. Getting big man N'Faly Dante healthy was a game changer for the Ducks. South Carolina had a great season but it's on upset alert.
No. 9 Northwestern (+2.5) vs. No. 8 Florida Atlantic
Another game that wouldn't be a massive upset, but it's a little surprising Florida Atlantic is favored. There was an argument to be made that FAU shouldn't be in the tournament at all. Last year's tournament darling had some really disappointing losses this season. The Owls get a tough Northwestern team that has a win over Purdue on its resume. Northwestern guard Boo Buie is the type of player who can take over a tournament game.
No. 12 UAB (+7.5) vs. No. 5 San Diego State
We all know some No. 12 seed is going to win. It happens just about every year. San Diego State is a good team that had a great tournament run last season, but UAB will be a tough out. Andy Kennedy is a good coach. The Blazers can control the game on the offensive glass. Which No. 12 seed are you picking to win straight up? It's likely to happen at least once.
No. 13 Charleston (+9.5) vs. No. 3 Alabama
Charleston is a good team, but this is more about Alabama. The Crimson Tide didn't play well late in the season. At HaslamMetrics.com, Alabama ranked dead last in Division I in its momentum rating. Alabama has the ability to beat just about anyone, but due to its defensive issues it can lose to just about anyone too. Charleston has a good enough offense to take advantage of the Tide's holes on defense. Beware of picking Alabama for a deep run.
No. 12 Grand Canyon (+5.5) vs. No. 5 St. Mary's
Another live No. 12 seed. St. Mary's is a very good team that just about went undefeated in the West Coast Conference, until Gonzaga beat the Gaels in the regular-season finale. It's not unreasonable to pick St. Mary's for a deep tournament run. But Grand Canyon is tough. Bryce Drew is a proven coach. The Antelopes have legit talent, led by 6-foot-7 Tyon Grant-Foster, a former Kansas Jayhawk who is averaging 19.8 points per game. This is the final game of the first round, and it could end up being the best game.
