Much of what makes the NCAA Tournament so great are the upsets; the little guys from the little conferences beating the big boys.
In a year where there are a lot of good teams in college basketball but few, if any, great teams, there could be a lot in this year’s tournament.
Here are my top five upset picks for the tournament:
1. No. 13 Siena over No. 4 Purdue: The Boilermakers are still reeling from the loss of star Robbie Hummel, and haven’t beaten anyone good since his injury. Siena is a veteran team with some good talent.
2. No. 11 San Diego State over No. 6 Tennessee: The Vols were hammered by Kentucky in the SEC Tournament, and San Diego State can lock you down defensively. Ask UNLV about that. If D.J. Gay continues to make big shots, the Aztecs advance.
3. No. 12 UTEP over No. 5 Butler: The Miners lost some of their momentum losing to Houston in the C-USA title game, but this team is talented and athletic with a solid post-presence. Butler is good but doesn’t see this kind of athleticism in the Horizon League.
4. No. 13 Murray State over No. 4 Vanderbilt: It might be a lack of familiarity with Vanderbilt, but I’m not sold this team is a No. 4 seed. Murray State won 30 games during the regular season and can play. I like the Racers.
5. No. 14 Sam Houston State over No. 3 Baylor: It’s a nice story that Baylor is in the tournament after all of the struggles on and off the court prior to coach Scott Drew coming aboard a few years ago. And, Baylor is more talented than Sam Houston State. But coach Bob Marlin (believed to have been interviewed for the Wyoming job after Steve McClain was fired) is one of the best coaches you’ve never heard of. He will have his team ready to pull the upset in this battle of Texas schools.
Who are some of your upset specials?
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