March Madness 2022: Six Teams That Could Wreck Your NCAA Tournament Bracket
There are reasons March Madness becomes more popular every year: Gambling, office pools/bragging rights, major upsets, and fun runs by college teams many haven’t even heard of.
Longshots become beloved and who doesn’t already love an underdog?
So with that in mind, as you fill out your bracket and make your bets through OddsSeeker.com’s awesome list of best betting apps, here are five lower-seeded teams (10 or lower) to most likely reach the Sweet 16 and possibly beyond.
Virginia Tech (No. 11 seed, East Region)
The Hokies are hot, going 13-2 down the stretch, including wins over Notre Dame, North Carolina and Duke (winning the championship game) in the ACC Tournament. They’re going to beat No. 6 Texas and then give everything No. 3 Purdue can handle in the next game.
Loyola Chicago (No. 10 seed, South Region)
The magic of 102-year-old (!) unofficial mascot, the beloved Sister Jean, has the Ramblers rolling on once again. During Loyola’s stunning Final Four run in 2018, the chaplain has become a good luck, charming, adored figure on the college basketball scene. Plus, they return a veteran squad following last season’s Sweet 16 run. They’re not big, but they are statistically solid on both offense and defense.
San Francisco (No. 10 seed, East Region)
The Dons, the alma mater of Bill Russell and K.C. Jones, haven’t made the NCAA Tournament since 1998 and it was an emotional moment when the team saw their name appear on Selection Sunday. Sometimes in March, a team that’s so hungry wins a game or two and though San Francisco faces a daunting Murray State team in the first round, the Dons backcourt is creative and dynamic (often a key in the tourney) led by Jamaree Bouyea and Khalil Shabazz.
This should be a great game.
Michigan (No. 11 seed, South Region)
This is gonna be a boom-or-bust tourney for Michigan. Clearly, the Wolverines, including newly reinstated (following a suspension for an ugly incident vs. Wisconsin) coach Juwan Howard, need to keep their cool. Especially against this hot and mighty Rams-tough team. But Michigan has 7-foot-1 center Hunter Dickinson, one of six Wolverines who are 6-foot-8 or taller, which will be a problem for the smaller, less-athletic Rams. I have a hunch this Michigan squad is gonna win two games, but that would win mean knocking off Tennessee in the next round if it gets by Colorado State.
South Dakota State (No. 13 seed, Midwest Region)
The Jackrabbits move and shoot like lights-out bunnies (best 3-point field-goal percentage of any team in the tourney). First-round opponent Providence is gonna have its hands full and so would potential second-round opponent Iowa.
Davidson (No. 10 seed, West Region)
For my last pick, and to make sure I have all four regions covered, Davidson is always a tough out, even though they haven’t won a tournament game since some kid named Steph Curry led them on a magical run. But this is a solid, tough, smart and great-shooting team and even though they must face the always-dangerous-in-March Michigan State Spartans in the first round, I think the Wildcats beat them since this has been a bit of a disappointing year for MSU.
Final note: I wanted to include Memphis (to beat Boise State and then give Gonzaga a game) but I stuck by my own rules and went with teams that are seeded 10th or lower. Damn you, No. 9-seeded Tigers.
