March Madness 2012: Underrated Big Conference Teams Capable of Making Final 4

With the NCAA Tournament drawing near, everyone will be looking for their favorite three- or four-seed to make it to the Final 4.

Picking all No. 1s will get you ridiculed by most of your friends, and the most effective way to counter that is to find a big conference team capable of pulling a few upsets.

For example, see what UConn did last year.

So, who can has the type of talent to be this year's Huskies? Here's a look at some good options to keep in mind when filling out that bracket. 

Louisville Cardinals

The Cardinals certainly don't play the same style as last year's UConn, but they have made a similar run through the Big East Tournament.

I've been a fan of this Cardinal team since the beginning of the year and now that they have some real momentum, they are clearly a team to be reckoned with.

When point guard Peyton Siva is playing like he has the past few games—attacking the basket with no regard for human life and finishing effectively—the Cardinals are so much dangerous. That's because when Siva is getting to the hoop and scoring, it opens up things for shooters like Kyle Kuric and Chris Smith.

Throw in big man Gorgui Dieng, and the Cardinals are actually much more balanced on offense than most people think. Considering offense is their weakness—the Cardinals defend with a special passion—that says a lot.

I usually don't like teams that rely on defense in March, but the Cardinals are starting to put together an offense that makes me a believer.

Indiana Hoosiers

The Hoosiers lost Verdell Jones to an untimely ACL injury, which hurts (for him and for the team), but I'm sticking with them. 

Indiana sometimes forgets to defend, but Cody Zeller and Christian Watford can score the ball in bunches while Jordan Hulls and Will Sheehey can shoot the lights.

The Hoosiers can shoot the three, but they don't rely on it, and that makes them balanced on offense, which is more than important come tournament time.

What's more, they have Victor Oladipo, one of the most underrated players in the nation.

Oladipo is the ultimate glue guy. He plays defense, scraps for loose balls, and uses his tremendous athleticism to be effective on the offensive end. 

The Hoosiers gave Kentucky its only loss back in December, so they can clearly play with anyone. Watch out for Indiana.

Florida Gators

The Gators are a projected five seed, but they have the talent of a two or three seed.

Much like Indiana, the Gators lost an important role player in Will Yeguete, but again, I'm not losing faith.

I see Patric Young as Florida's most important player. They have a bunch of talented guards who can light it up from long range, but Young needs to use his impressive size inside to make the Gators multifaceted.

If he doesn't draw double-teams like he is capable of, it will be more difficult for Bradley Beal and Kenny Boynton to get open on the perimeter. The guards will still get their shots off, but Young can add an important dimension to this offense.

If he plays big inside, I like the Gators to make a big run. If he doesn't, I see them being ousted very early.