NCAA Bracket 2012: Bubble Teams That Will Wreak Havoc When They Get into Tourney

The 2012 NCAA Tournament Bracket will no doubt feature a few "bubble" teams, and those selected will surely let out a collective sigh of relief when they hear their team's name called among the field 68.

Not all bubble teams are created equal, however. Some are more deserving than others. The West Virginia Mountaineers played a difficult Big East schedule in 2012, and that could either work to their benefit or detriment.

Other teams like the NC State Wolfpack showed that they can hang and even contend with the big boys of college basketball. If NC State can win another game or two, the Wolfpack could prove a worthy choice by the selection committee.

So how and why will some late-addition bubble teams wreak havoc in the NCAA Tourney this March? Check it out. 

Texas Longhorns (20-13)

Despite finishing 9-9 in the Big 12 during the regular season, the Longhorns proved they can play with the country's best several times this year. They swept Iowa State, a locked-in tournament team that went 12-6 in the conference in 2012. Texas also came within five points of beating Baylor on not one but two different occasions, home and away.

Junior guard J'Covan Brown has emerged as a game-changing player this season with the Longhorns as well. Brown went from averaging 10.4 points per game in 2010-11 to averaging more than 20 per game this season. If Brown is on his game then Texas is capable of shocking anyone in March.

West Virginia Mountaineers (19-13)

West Virginia struggled down the stretch of the regular season but it boasts two incredible scorers in Kevin Jones and Darryl "Truck" Bryant, who combine for more than 37 points per game. Jones is joined by fellow big man Deniz Kilicli in the paint, where the Mountaineers do most of their damage.

Bob Huggins' squad is among the top teams in the nation in rebounding (23rd, 38.4 RPG) thanks to the aforementioned bigs, and that means more second chance opportunities for the Mountaineers in the Big Dance, which will equate to an upset or two.

NC State Wolfpack (22-12)

The Wolfpack had won four straight games before falling to  rival North Carolina Tar Heels in the ACC Conference Tournament semifinals. NC State also finished the regular season with a winning conference record despite dropping four in a row in February. All things the selection committee will have considered.

What makes the Wolfpack so dangerous come tournament time though is just that, they are a pack. At least five players on NC State's roster average double digit scoring per game. They are led by C.J. Leslie (14.6 PPG & 7.5 RPG) and assisted by sophomore guard Lorenzo Brown, who averages 6.4 dimes per game for the nation's 13th-best assisting team. The Wolfpack are underrated at the moment, but have Sweet Sixteen potential.