Cinderella Story Season

Which low seeds are most likely to become Cinderella stories? Who do we have winning it all?

Here will be the official Beantown Sports Talk Cinderella story pick(s), our champion pick, and our bracket in full at the end.

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Which underdogs could dance deep into March?

Just Missed the Cut:

Texas Longhorns-

The Longhorns, led by top draft prospect and block leader Mo Bamba, Kerwin Roach, and recently red-hot Derrick Coleman, pose to be a threat to make it past the mild Nevada Wolfpack. Their defensive prowess and offensive explosiveness make the first round matchup against the higher seed a bit of a toss up, but the Longhorns unfortunately won't be able to gain any steam since even if they make it to the second round they'll undoubtedly be stifled by the second best Cincinnati defense.

So Far As Sweet Sixteen:

Loyola Ramblers-

Loyola is both 4th in Division 1 in opponent's points per game and 8th in effective field goal percentage. They are an efficient team on both sides of the ball that can simultaneously limit the inconsistent Miami offense and control the pace to come on top of the young and inexperienced team. Going forward they'll absolutely shut down the overall completely inefficient and sputtering offense of Tennessee and hope to control the pace in what will be a battle of defenses. Going forward they should have one of the best chances at taking down Cincinnati of anyone to that point but ultimately wouldn't be able to compare to their lockdown defense and capable offense.

Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks-

The Lumberjacks have hands down one of the best defenses in college basketball, leading D1 in steals per game and opponent turnovers per game, as well as the 8th best defensive efficiency rating. They are older and more experienced than the competition they'll face in the young, unpredictable, explosive Texas Tech in the first round, and the similarly young and paced Florida or BON/UCLA in the second round. Their lockdown defense certainly could take them as far as the sweet sixteen, but they'll face a challenge shutting down the D1 leaders in 3 point %, Purdue and ultimately should sputter out by that third round matchup.

Most Likely to go the Distance:

New Mexico State Aggies-

Who? The 12 seed Aggies that aren't from a major conference and most fans haven't heard of. Precisely those Aggies that can dominate on both sides of the ball and are ultimately a titan stuck in a weak division, which were placed in one of the most open sections of the tournament. The 28-5 New Mexico State is 4th in D1 in defensive efficiency, 5th in rebounds per game, and 12th in average scoring margin. Riding a 6 game win streak, the Aggies should prove themselves a worthy challenger to the dually inefficient Clemson Tigers. If they make it past this initial challenge they'll face an extremely similar one in the Auburn Tigers who don't excel at anything in particular but finished 1st place in the SEC. At this point in the Sweet 16 they would be tasked with the daunting Kansas Jayhawks, but riding what would at this point be an 8 game win streak, with a capable defense, a gritty style of play, and dominance on the boards, they could have what it takes to overthrow the number 1 seed and possibly even go farther.

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Who will win it all?

Some may call us crazy for not picking a number one seed to win it all, or even make it to the finals. Most definitely would call us crazy for not picking a number two, three, or four seed to win it all. Luckily we at Beantown Sports Talk aren't most people and we love to embrace the hot takes. This is why our pick to win it all isn't the Vegas favorite Villanova, isn't the all around most efficient team Duke, 2017's champion North Carolina, or the top defensive team in college basketball Virginia. Our pick to win it all is the Eastern region five seed, the West Virginia Mountaineers. West Virginia is a unique team; they aren't the most shut-down team defensively and are FAR from the most prolific team offensively, but their success lies in the advanced statistics, the eye test, and most importantly, their highs ride the same highs as their red hot stars- Jevon Carter, Sagaba Konate, and Daxter Miles Jr. While West Virginia might not necessarily be a specialist team, they are a team of winners, a team that breathes success; with the 14th best +10.6 scoring margin, the 11th best 0.742 opponent assist to turnover ratio, 14th best 39.6 points per 1st half, 4th best offensive rebounds per game at 12.2, 6th best block percentage at 9.9%, and the 5th best 16.5 opponent turnovers per game. This shows that the Mountaineers start games stronger than the majority of competition they'll face, dominate the offensive glass to compensate for poor efficiency, and are a deceptively dominant defensive team that are adept at getting in the passing lanes, pressuring the ball handler, and protecting the paint. West Virginia has everything it takes to stun the tournament by getting off to hot start and limiting the play of their opponents.

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The Official Beantown Sports Bracket: