March Madness 2012: How to Pick Your Cinderella NCAA Tournament Team

It's that time of year again. Time to cram in as much college basketball as you can before Selection Sunday in a desperate attempt to "educate" yourself before you make your final selections. What makes this tournament so fun is exactly what can make it so maddening: Anything can and will happen. 

Every year, a Cinderella team emerges. Seemingly from out of nowhere, this team will steal your heart and bust your bracket. There are a few tell-tale signs that a team has Cinderella potential written all over it. 

Everyone loves filling out their brackets, and we all think we know what we are talking about. The beauty of March Madness is the uncertainty of it all. The idea that on any given afternoon, David can knock out Goliath. There's a level of drama there we all crave this time of year. 

Without the Cinderella, it's just basketball. 

Here are some things to look for when trying to predict this year's version of Cinderella. 

Underdog Coach

One thing to look for is a team with a lovable, likeable coach. While this factor doesn't hold true every time, it is surprisingly relevant. 

Butler has coach Brad Stevens, a guy who looks much more like he is attending his first boy/girl formal than orchestrating a basketball team. VCU has coach Shaka Smart, the underpaid every-man we all want to succeed. Valpo had coach Homer Drew, whose "aww shucks" look and under-appreciated son made us all fall in love. George Mason had coach Jim Larranaga, who reminded us all of grandpa. 

If you're deciding between a few teams for your Cinderella, go with which team has a likeable head coach you would want to root for. That's your team. 

Identify Your Superstar

Teams that win NCAA Titles tend to have a superstar. Not necessarily an NBA-ready star, but a collegiate star. 

Guys like Adam Morrison, Stephen Curry, Tyler Hansbrough, or Kemba Walker. Guys that exhibit the supreme ability to will their team to win, and when that isn't enough, to simply take games over. These guys can get their teams deep into the tournament all on their own. They love the spotlight, and play their best when it matters most. Go back and take a look at which teams have a guy who has hit a couple buzzer-beaters, or had huge nights against big-time opponents, those are your guys.

Not every championship team has one of these stars, but at least one team in almost every Final Four does. Identify a guy you think might be this year's tournament darling, and your pick could be wearing the glass slipper this year.

Relatively Unknown School

When in doubt, go with the school that the average fan hasn't heard of. 

Stay away from the State schools. The exception to that rule of course, is when the word before state is not an actual state. For example: Morehead State.

A good rule of thumb is that if you don't know which state the school is located in, pick them. None of us knew where George Mason was, or what part of the country Butler or Gonzaga were from. The less known the school, the better off you are. 

While picking no-name schools is a good idea, stay away from ones who are making their first tournament appearance. For instance, if Lehigh is back for its fifth trip, while Norfolk State is playing in the school's first tournament, go with Lehigh. 

The ideal Cinderella has been there before, but didn't go far. Check out last year's newer teams who might be back for round two or three in 2012. 

Pick a 12 over a 5

Since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, only three times have we had a tournament where a 12 seed didn't knock off a 5 seed. It's one of the craziest statistical anomalies in all of sports. Why does this upset happen so consistently? We have no idea.

When a 12 beats a 5, they do very well in the second-round games that follow. Unfortunately, only one 12 seed has ever one a Sweet Sixteen game. 

Recent history has shown us that records and stats are beginning to go out the window. In the last few tournaments, lower seeds have been breaking all the usual rules. I think this is the year we see a 12 seed get to the Elite Eight, and possibly even further.

Enjoy the Madness

This year's tournament will undoubtedly produce more timeless moments, memorable personalities and heartbreaking defeats. 

There will be a Cinderella team the country will fall in love with led by a head coach whose name we will struggle to remember 20 years from now. We will allow Dick Vitale's legendary rants to fill our living rooms again. We will let ourselves get caught up in the Madness that is the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. 

We forget last year's tournament so quickly, largely because each new one is that much better in our minds. Sure you remember the year your Alma-Mater won (I know my father does) or the year your favorite team went dancing, but you will forget this year's version of Cinderella as quickly as you will come to know them. 

Cinderella will be trying on glass slippers all this week, we'll see which foot fits.