NCAA Bracket 2012 Predictions: Double-Digit Seeds Sure to Survive Until Sweet 16

With March Madness in full swing, sports fans across the country are in dogged pursuit of the office pool equivalent of the Holy Grail: can't-miss Cinderellas and underdogs. 

In your average bracket, a correctly picked upset is worth its weight in gold; on top of giving you an edge in your pool, it also proves you know what you're talking about, that your hunch paid off and that you've done your research (or listened to the right people). 

But, they're also harder to pinpoint than a needle in a haystack. With so many solid to strong teams playing against solid to strong teams in the tournament, it's always hard to predict what will happen. 

So, which teams will wear the glass slipper into the tournament's second weekend? These three are a great place to start:

Long Beach State

The 49ers have giant-killer experience this season. They knocked off Pitt at Pitt, which is no small feat, even in a down year like this, and played Louisville, Kansas, San Diego State and North Carolina hard, while beating fellow mid-major juggernaut Xavier. 

Now, the 12th-seeded 49ers face No. 5 seed New Mexico in the first round, and with their offense, they should find a way to pull the upset. Led by forward Casper Ware, the Niners' high-octane offense can fill up the scoreboard like few teams in the sport. Long Beach also plays a brutal full-court press defense that can force teams into mistakes and turnovers as well as anyone. 

In other words, Long Beach State's style of play is the type that can mess with even the best, most poised teams. They're veterans, with little fear about the prospect of playing a power conference team. In other words, they're the last team you'd want to see, and they have all the skills to make a run into the second week. 

Belmont

Last season, the Bruins ran into a Wisconsin team who was capable of keeping up with their high-octane scoring, and their upset bid fell short. Don't expect that to happen again.

This year, the still high-flying Bruins are facing a Georgetown team who play fairly stingy defense, but lack the kind of offensive punch necessary to keep up with teams who can penetrate that defense. Belmont just so happens to be the kind of team who can do just that.  

Led by a plethora of high scoring guards, like Kerron Johnson, Ian Clark and Drew Hanlen, the Bruins shoot the lights out and crash the offensive glass. They have athleticism in the backcourt, but they also have size and strength on the interior, in the form of big men Scott Saunders and Mick Hedgepeth.

In other words, they have all the makings of a Cinderella, especially against a young team who's easily forced out of their own style of play like Georgetown. If the Bruins can force the Hoyas to make mistakes, they're sure to pull the upset. With a matchup against either San Diego State or North Carolina State in the round of 32,  don't be surprised to see Belmont in the Sweet 16 and beyond. 

Virginia

The Cavaliers were at one point one of the hottest teams in college basketball, thanks to a red-hot start. They cooled off considerably down the stretch, but they have all the talent to make a deep run into the tournament. Unlike many teams on the list, coach Tony Bennett's team plays a slow-down, drag-out, grinding style of play. 

With superstar big man Mike Scott filling up the scoresheet, averaging 17.9 points and 8.3 rebounds, the Cavs have the kind of player capable of carrying them on, with a bit of help from guards Jontel Evans and Sammy Zeglinski and swingman Joe Harris.

They can slow even the most frenetic teams, and if they can force both Florida and Missouri to slow down, they can pull off a pair of upsets with their incredibly stifling defense. 

The Cavs are a risk. If Evans, Zeglinski and Harris' outside shots don't fall, they don't have the offensive punch to beat many teams. But this team was hot once, and if they find that touch again, you'll see them in the Elite Eight and beyond.