NCAA Tournament 2012: 6 Cinderella Teams to Take a Chance on

It's March. Upsets are going to happen. Just ask blue-blood programs such as Kentucky, Duke, North Carolina and Syracuse; each team lost in a game in which they were favored during their respective conference tournaments. 

Cinderella teams were out in force in the 2011 NCAA tournament, as Virginia Commonwealth and Butler both made the Final Four. Chances are you didn't take a chance on those teams.

This year, don't be fooled—take a chance.

If you do take a chance, be prepared to see some losses. Diversify your brackets and pick different "Cinderella" teams in different brackets.

Here are six teams that could bust brackets and upset top teams.

Belmont

The Belmont Bruins, winners of the Atlantic Sun conference, sport the fourth-best offense in the nation at 81.5 points per game. That offense can hang with any team in the nation.

Rick Byrd is an experienced head coach who leads an efficient offense. Belmont lacks the size to play against Georgetown, but if they can keep the tempo up, they can upset the Hoyas in a high-scoring game.

Creighton

Everyone's favorite mid-major this year has been Creighton.

Led by the father-son tandem of Greg and Doug McDermott, Creighton boasts one of the most prolific offenses in the game. The Bluejays make 50.9 percent of their shots, which is tops in the nation.

Creighton will be a popular "Cinderella" pick, and for good reason. Their first-round matchup against Alabama is definitely winnable, as Alabama doesn't have the offense to hang with Creighton.

Detroit

Detroit is a No. 15 seed you could definitely take a chance on. 

The Titans hail from the Horizon League, the same league that produced Butler in the last two years. Led by Ray McCallum, this Detroit team has a leader, experience and skill that are the marks of a solid mid-major.

Detroit plays Kansas in the first round, which is a tall task, but also a winnable one. It will take great play inside to keep Thomas Robinson in check, but if the Jayhawks go cold, a No. 2 seed might fall.

Long Beach State

Long Beach State met up with Creighton on Feb. 18 in one of the most exciting non-conference games of the year. Both teams shoot the ball extremely well and can hang with anyone.

Senior Casper Ware led the streaky 49ers to a 15-1 conference record with wins over Pittsburgh and Xavier in non-conference play. 

Long Beach State will play New Mexico in the first round of the NCAA tournament. New Mexico has been one of the most efficient teams in the nation on defense, so it will be critical for Ware and company to make shots.

South Dakota State

South Dakota State won the Summit League and plays Baylor in the first round of the NCAA tournament. 

Baylor will be a very tough team to beat, but South Dakota State has a stud point guard in Nate Wolters. Wolters averages 21.3 points per game.

The Jackrabbits dismantled Washington earlier in the year. If Baylor goes cold and Wolters gets hot, this could easily be one of the biggest upsets in the NCAA tournament.

VCU

Lightning strikes twice—just look at the Butler Bulldogs of last year.

Virginia Commonwealth has the experience of a Final Four team and a coach who can get the job done.

Shaka Smart and his Rams will play Wichita State in the first round. This will be one of the premier No. 5 vs. No. 12 first-round matchups. It will be a high-scoring affair, and the Rams have the talent to win.