NCAA Bracket 2012: Potential Cinderellas Who Got Screwed by Matchups

Cinderellas are as much a part of March Madness as crazy brackets (if you think Norfolk State has a prayer against Missouri, you're kidding yourself) and ancient rivalries renewed (like Duke vs. Kentucky could be in the Elite Eight).

The thrill of an upset is enough to make you toss your bracket out the window for a minute, just so you can enjoy the possibility that a team no one thought had a chance is about to shock the world. Even if it will cause your entire bracket to crumble around you, you want to see a Cinderella make a deep run.

But sometimes, potential Cinderella teams find themselves falling victim to some, well, suspect seeding and matching from the selection committee. Mid-majors or small schools who have serious Cinderella potential undone either by strong power conference teams, lousy matchups or pairings against fellow mid-majors. 

So which Cinderellas saw their dreams undone by the selection committee this season? While it's hard to know for sure, these three are a good place to start...

Harvard

The 12th-seeded Crimson had all the makings of a Cinderella: veteran team, strong post presence, balanced lineup. Unfortunately, the committee paired them against a Vanderbilt team eager to prove it can actually win a big game in March.

Do they have a shot? Sure—the Crimson have a pair of players in Kyle Casey and Keith Wright capable of carrying them to a win. But the Commodores are not the kind of team they wanted to meet.

They can score against strong defenses and boast the size on the inside to slow Wright and Casey, courtesy of Festus Ezeli and Lance Goulbourne. This figures to be one of the more maddening games of the first weekend, and the Commodores figure to push Tommy Amaker's team's glass-slipper credentials to the limit.

In the end, I'm not convinced that the Crimson have what it takes to get past the Commodores' talented roster, particularly if their offense sputters. 

Can the Crimson get a win? Yes. But I'd feel much more comfortable about the Ivy champs' chances against a different team. 

Virginia Commonwealth

One of the selection committee's dirty tricks is to pair Cinderellas with fellow mid-majors, in an effort to pare down the number of smaller schools who advance beyond the first round, while also forcing teams who could make deep runs to get knocked out. 

This year, one team who finds itself running into a buzzsaw like that is Virginia Commonwealth. The Rams' high-octane offense and full-court press defense are capable of beating anyone, and they're one of the hottest teams in the country right now. Led by veteran Bradford Burgess, coach Shaka Smart's team has the skills and the build to make another deep Cinderella run. 

However, by pairing them with fellow mid-major Wichita State, the committee has all but killed VCU's chances. The Shockers play a style that's not conducive to the Rams, with guard-heavy offensive sets and a defense focused on shifting styles and formations to keep opponents off balance. Led by sharpshooters Joe Ragland and Toure' Murry and big man Garrett Stutz, the Shockers have the kind of balance you look for offensively. They're fairly deep and possess the athleticism necessary to break the press. 

The Rams lack the size needed to beat Wichita State in the round of 64, thereby ending Shaka Smart's second Cinderella bid before it begins. 

South Dakota State

The Jackrabbits feature a cool name, a potential NBA prospect and the kind of offense that can result in a glass slipper being placed on their collective lucky foot. 

Led by guard Nate Wolters, the sharpshooting Jackrabbits thrive on the three-pointer. Everyone in their top seven players can knock down shots from beyond the arc, and Wolters is a playmaker extraordinaire, driving to the hoop, knocking down threes or creating chances for his teammates. He averages 21.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game, and his well-rounded skills make him the kind of player who can carry a team to an upset.

The only problem? Their first-round opponent, the Baylor Bears, plays right into the 14-seed's weaknesses. SDSU isn't exactly the most athletic team on earth, and faster, more athletic teams with length can give them fits. Unfortunately for the Jackrabbits, that's exactly what the Bears are.

Led by NBA lottery pick Perry Jones III and forwards Quincy Acy and Quincy Miller, as well as pint-sized point guard Pierre Jackson, Baylor's team is loaded with athletes who can run the Jackrabbits out of the gym. They're bigger, they're faster and they're capable of locking down on the perimeter with their length and slowing the dynamo Wolters.

With the right matchup, South Dakota State could be a real-life Cinderella. But against a team with Baylor's skills, the Jackrabbits will just have to settle for having the coolest mascot in the tournament.