March Madness 2012: 4 Sweet 16 Underdogs Nobody Wants to Play

Just because a team doesn't have a very good seed doesn't mean it isn't a very good team.

There are underdogs, but that doesn't necessarily mean these teams will just roll over and die. It's the Sweet 16, and anyone is capable of beating anyone else.

There are different reasons the top seeds want to avoid underdogs, but the reasoning varies depending on the team. Some teams match up well with one team (Norfolk State vs. Missouri) and horrible with another (NSU vs. Florida).

At some point, these underdogs will earn some respect. The Sweet 16 is a great spot to earn that respect.

These underdogs are looking for a few more upsets and busted brackets. Here are five teams that the top seeds want nothing to do with.

Cincinnati Bearcats

Cincinnati is one of the most physically imposing teams left in the field.

Dion Dixon leads the team, and he can score when he needs to. His intense perimeter defense puts pressure on opposing guards as the Bearcats slowly wear down their opponents.

Cashmere Wright is the engine for this team. He can score if he wants, but his facilitating and control of the tempo keeps Cincinnati running at a comfortable pace.

Down low, Yancy Gates is a monster. After getting in some trouble with the Xavier fight, Gates has returned to lead the team in rebounding while being a physical beast.

Cincinnati certainly isn't the most talented team left. However, with their athleticism, heart and toughness, Ohio State better watch out because the Bearcats are going to be a tough out.

Florida Gators

Florida would've had an extremely tough matchup with Missouri.

Luckily for them, Norfolk State did the dirty work. As a result, the Gators destroyed Virginia and Norfolk State by a combined 60 points.

That's absolutely ridiculous.

Billy Donovan's side probably won't be winning the rest of the games by that much, but they're proving that they have the firepower to take down anybody. Florida was a little under-seeded at seven, but they're taking out their frustration on unlucky opponents.

While they don't play very good defense, the Gators, mainly Kenny Boynton and Bradley Beal, have no problem scoring. Marquette's an extremely athletic team so this matchup will be a high-octane event that will depend on who can get more composed play from their guards.

North Carolina State Wolfpack

North Carolina State is one of the hottest teams in the Sweet 16.

They should've beaten North Carolina in the ACC Tournament, but they had some tough luck that resulted in a premature exit. Regardless, Mark Gottfried got his team focused enough to pull off two well-deserved upsets.

The Wolfpack comes from a big conference, which definitely helps them as the tournament progresses. They have been up against some of the best teams in the country and they are slowly learning how to beat those teams.

With only two seniors in the mix, NC State relies heavily on athleticism and desire. Their composure was questionable earlier in the year. However, Gottfried has gotten his team to buy into his system and the Wolfpack will be the toughest double-digit seed to eliminate.

Xavier Musketeers

Tagged as inconsistent and unpredictable, Xavier has stormed into the Sweet 16.

After recovering from the brawl with Cincinnati, Xavier is out to prove something. Led by senior Tu Holloway, the Musketeers play a swarming defense that helps start their fast breaks. They love to push the ball as a team and their great guards help them do so.

Holloway, Mark Lyons and Dezmine Wells score more than half the points for Xavier, and a lot of those points are from easy baskets in transition. If Xavier can't push the ball, they sometimes find trouble scoring.

Coming into the tournament, people questioned their mental stability. After winning tough games against Notre Dame and Lehigh, it's safe to say that Xavier's psyche is in the right place.

Baylor will provide Xavier with a very tough test, but the Musketeers have the ball-handling and all-around speed to keep up with, and defeat, Baylor.