Best Qualities of March Madness

# 17 - Underdogs

Every year there’s at least one team that scores at least one upset victory in the tournament. One of the most recent astonishing runs by an underdog came in 2006, when George Mason knocked off four quality opponents on the way to the Final Four. That year, the Colonials beat Michigan State, North Carolina, Wichita State, and UConn. George Mason was a #11 seed that year, and only the second #11 seed ever to get to the Final Four (LSU in 1986).

Closer to home (my home at least), I’ll always remember UW-Milwaukee’s run in 2005, when the Panthers, a #12 seed, beat Alabama and Boston College in the first weekend of the tournament. They would go on to lose in the next round to eventual tournament finalist Illinois. The next year, the Panthers got another first round upset victory, this time against Oklahoma. In the second round, they lost to the eventual tournament champions, Florida. UWM might have played better in that second game, if they had a better mascot on the floor that day.

So who’s poised to be this year’s George Mason or UW-Milwaukee? Here are five teams I think could pull off an upset or two this year:

5. VCU

4. Kent State

3. UCSB

2. BYU

1. Davidson