5 teams that can shock the world during March Madness

Most fans scramble the night before the NCAA tournament to dig up information about which teams might bust brackets and make deep March Madness runs. However, it makes sense to keep tabs on a few teams before the madness ensues. We’ve got our eye on five teams that are flying under the radar heading into the postseason.

The Ducks are wrapping up their first year in the Big 10. Like some of their Pac-12 alumni, Oregon has had to deal with long road trips throughout conference play. Head coach Dana Altman told 24-7 Sports in January, “If we don’t play well at Ohio State or we don’t play well at Penn State, it’s not because of the travel, because we didn’t take care of ourselves… I told our players, I don’t ever want to hear one thing about all the travel.”

That’s a pretty good mindset to instill in the months leading up to the NCAA tournament. It doesn’t matter what seed Oregon gets, or where they play their March Madness games. They’ve been locked in on a no-nonsense attitude that could help them in the postseason. Additionally, they have a pretty intriguing team.

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Oregon’s attack is centered around big man Nate Bittle, who is a proven contributor on both ends of the floor. He led the conference in blocks as February wrapped up, and he has a solid outside shooting touch that will force opposing centers to guard him on the perimeter. The Ducks had one of the most impressive wins of the season in a comeback road victory against Wisconsin.

How can one of the bluebloods of college basketball ever be considered a sleeper? The Tar Heels haven’t exactly thrown their weight around in the ACC this year, which has them on the outskirts of contender status in 2025. With that said, they’re playing great basketball as we head into the month of March.

Regardless of what’s going on around him, RJ Davis is the type of player who could get hot at the right time for the Tar Heels. He’s one of the best players in ACC history, as he entered the top three on the conference’s all-time scoring list. The Daily Tar Heel’s Carolina Wills wrote that Davis returned for his fifth college season to complete unfinished business, so he’s as motivated as ever.

With that said, Davis is going to need some help during the most important games of the year. Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller thinks he could get it, as Seth Trimble and Ian Jackson are playing improved basketball down the stretch.

College basketball fans know the drill with Memphis. They’ve been one of the strongest teams in the AAC under head coach Penny Hardaway for years, but they never seem to step up when it matters most. They’ve made it only as far as the second round of the NCAA Tournament during Hardaway’s tenure, but that could change this season.

Memphis got one of the most impactful transfers ahead of the season. PJ Haggerty has been a scoring machine, averaging over 20 points per game according to Sports Reference. Haggerty is a sophomore, but has three years of playing experience. Most of his teammates in the rotation are seniors, so the Tigers bring a seasoned bunch into the postseason this year.

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We can understand if fans want to take the “we’ll believe it when we see it” approach with Memphis, but there are a lot of reasons to like them this year. Jason Munz of the Memphis Commercial Appeal points out the program’s strong record against Quad 1 and Quad 2 opponents this year, which bodes well for when the competition heats up.

Dave Rose and Mark Pope made their presence felt at BYU for many years, and new head coach Kevin Young is doing the same in his first season. Deseret’s website talked about the strategy change under Young, as the school is now very active in NIL dealings to land the best talent in the country.

NCAA basketball analyst Andy Katz was supremely impressed by BYU’s victories against Kansas and Arizona. Katz noted that it wasn’t just that BYU beat Kansas; they thumped them 91-57 in a game where the Jayhawks had no answers. It’s a reminder that the Cougars can topple anyone when they’re hitting on all cylinders.

The Cougars don’t have a player like RJ Davis or PJ Haggerty who can explode for 30 on any given night, but they have done well to get contributions from everyone in their rotation. When it boils down to crunch time, Richie Saunders is likely going to be the primary option, along with freshman Egor Demin.

Drake might be the real Cinderella pick this spring. Holden Walter-Warner of Busting Brackets notes that the Bulldogs haven’t really played anyone impressive throughout the season, but that they still have the ingredients for some March Madness magic.

The Missouri Valley Conference social media account posted in late February, “His name is Bennett Stirtz and he’s the best player in the Missouri Valley Conference.” It’s high praise, but Stirtz has been an offensive machine in his first year with the Bulldogs. He plays nearly every minute of his team’s games, and has proven himself as a lethal scorer and legitimate playmaker.

Drake might have a sneakily scary recipe for wins come March. Stirtz has been sensational all year long on the offensive end, and the Bulldogs are right at the top of college basketball in points allowed per game. Their defensive identity could stymie teams during March Madness, which is a formula for the mid-major’s success.

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