Every NCAA tournament, there are a few teams that no one believes can win against a stronger opponent, only to cause the collective screams of millions of fans who have had their bracket busted by these teams. Generally, these upsets are pulled off by teams outside of the "Big 6" conference winning over a team from a "Big 6" conference. I will examine one team from each region who could be primed to be an upset victim at the hands of a surprise squad.
For the West Region, that team is the Texas Longhorns.
The Longhorns enter the tournament with a 27-7 overall record and the fourth seed in the West and they will play a 25-7 Oakland Grizzlies squad who were the champions of the Summit League and are a 13 seed. By simply taking a glance at the teams, Oakland would stand little to no chance against a team of Texas' stature. However, by looking at the numbers, the Grizzlies will be a tough out in the tournament. The Grizzlies rank second nationally in both points per game with 85.6, and field goal percentage at 49.4%. They play a non-conventional game for a mid-major when normalcy would call for a game in the low-60's to give the Grizzlies an opportunity to win. Additionally, the Grizzlies have shown that they can not only schedule difficult teams, they also have the ability to beat those teams. Earlier in the season, the Grizzlies upset then-seventh ranked Tennessee by seven, and lost to then-eighth ranked Michigan State by one point. Additionally, the Grizzlies are in the top 20 nationally in assists per game and rebounds per game, meaning that they wait for a open look and rebound when they miss. If the Grizzlies can take control early and prove that they can run with the Longhorns, they could pull off an upset.
It will take a special night for a 13 seed to knock off a 4 seed, but if Oakland plays to its potential, they have a chance to do so.
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