Sure, teams like George Mason, Bradley, Northwestern State, and Wichita State are fun to root for in March—even if they doom you in your pool. But mid-major squads aren't the only ones who can score upsets in the spring. Often, low-seeded schools from big-name conferences stage improbable runs through the tournament—and can turn an average bracket into an extraordinary one. Last season, it was LSU, West Virginia, and Georgetown who foiled the experts. Two years back, it was Louisville, Michigan State, and Wisconsin. Who's it going to be in 2007? Without further ado, and pending their eligibility as at-large bids or conference champions, I present to you eight major-conference Cinderellas with a chance to turn heads in the NCAA Tournament.
1. Villanova
Conference: Big East
Overall Record Prior to February 12th: 17-7
Conference Record Prior to February 12th: 5-5
Significant Wins: at Georgetown, vs. Notre Dame, vs. Texas
Poor Losses: vs. DePaul, vs. Drexel, at Xavier
Notes: Curtis Sumpter is back! After missing all of the 2005-2006 season with a significant knee injury, he's posting a career high 17.7 PPG to go with 7.0 RPG. Villanova's weakness is that they only go six deep, and don't have a player who averages significant minutes listed over 6'8". A week ago this team looked like it was going to be in a position to grab anywhere from a 12 to a 9 seed, but recent projections have them climbing as high as 6. As an 11 or 12 seed the Wildcats definitely have the potential to make a two-game run to the Sweet 16, but their lack of height will likely prohibit them from advancing much further than that.
2. Arizona
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