Sweet 16 2012: Ranking the Remaining Bracket Cinderellas

Usually at this time of the year, people are going bananas over all of the Cinderella teams. The NCAA tournament started with a bang, a huge one at that, with two No. 2 seeds going down in the second round.

Ever since then, the dance hasn't been boring by any means, but there just hasn't been a whole lot of love for Cinderella.

However, the tournament is down to its last 16 teams, and there are still three Cinderella teams that remain.

Read on to find out these three teams and how they rank.

3. No. 13 Ohio Bobcats

The Ohio Bobcats are by far the biggest Cinderella team left in the Big Dance, but they certainly have not been playing like that.

After a great season, Michigan was supposed to make a deep run, but the Bobcats did not care what it was supposed to do. Ohio knocked off the Wolverines by the score of 65-60. The Bobcats' D.J. Cooper went off in the first game of the tourney with 21 points. Cooper then followed that up with 19 points against South Florida.

The Bobcats may have to play North Carolina next, but the Tar Heels will most likely be without its point guard Kendall Marshall.

Ohio has had a very stingy defense in the tournament thus far, giving up 60 points to Michigan and 56 points to South Florida.

2. No. 10 Xavier Musketeers

Xavier went into the season with very high expectations, but those expectations went down the drain during the regular season. Well, guess what? They are back.

The Musketeers have found themselves in the Sweet 16, but this is no mistake, folks.

If you have watched the Musketeers at all, you know that Tu Holloway is an absolute baller. Holloway is easily making a case for being the best guard in the tournament. It is kind of hard to argue that when he is averaging 23 points a game.

Holloway and the rest of the Xavier team look legit. Don't be surprised when the Musketeers upset Baylor in the Sweet 16.

1. No. 11 North Carolina State Wolfpack

North Carolina State was squarely on the bubble, but it just managed to squeak into the tournament. 

The Wolfpack have taken full advantage of dancing this year by making it to the Sweet 16...so far.

Unlike the other two Cinderella teams, NC State has had to play two very tough opponents. I'm not saying Xavier and Ohio have had an easy road, but their roads have definitely not been as tough as North Carolina State's.

The Wolfpack walked all over San Diego State by beating it 79-65. NC State then knocked off one of the best teams in the country in the Georgetown Hoyas.

Next up will be the Kansas Jayhawks—a tough draw considering that Kansas is just as good as or better than anyone in the Big Dance.

The Wolfpack are a very complete team. In both tournament games, four players have been in double digits in scoring for NC State.

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