NCAA Tournament 2015: Bubble Teams That Pose Greatest Threat in March Madness

Just because a team is on the NCAA tournament bubble doesn't mean it should be overlooked as a contender to make a deep run this postseason.

The squads that find themselves on the bubble at this stage of the year have struggled at some point of the season. The true elites of the college basketball world are safely in the field after putting together a strong resume over the first four months of the year.

Still, last season reminded us anything can happen in March Madness when Connecticut seemingly came out of nowhere to win the national championship. Additionally, some of the last additions to the field like Dayton, Tennessee and Stanford had plenty of success.

Although we won't know who will actually make the tournament until Selection Sunday, here are some teams that can do damage if they get a bid.

North Carolina State

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It's hard to believe North Carolina State has a legitimate chance to make the NCAA tournament after the year it's had. The Wolfpack had a stretch of five losses in six games and until Saturday hadn't won two games in a row since Dec. 12.

That's not a typo. That also is an indictment on all the teams that aren't even in bubble consideration this year.

On the other hand, it's important to look at North Carolina State's wins to see what this team can do. The squad beat Duke by 12 earlier in the year and recently won at Louisville by nine. Miami came close to replicating this feat, but the reality is not many teams in the nation would be able to pull this off.

With a go-to scorer like Trevor Lacey, a supporting cast of contributors who can take over in Ralston Turner and Anthony Barber, as well as one of the top rim-protectors in the nation in Beejay Anya, this is certainly a team no one will want to play in March.

Temple

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Temple was headed in the right direction for a tournament bid until the past week saw a loss to SMU followed up by an embarrassing blowout at the hands of Tulsa. ESPN's Kevin Negandhi discussed what this means for its March Madness standing:

That being said, Temple still has done a good job in the Atlantic 10, and a 25-point win over Kansas in nonconference play will go a long way. If the Owls are able to get into the Big Dance, they will be a tough out no matter who they play.

The problem for opponents will be the elite defense, which ranks No. 8 in the nation in efficiency, according to KenPom.com. Transfer Jaylen Bond has become an excellent defender and rebounder, while Will Cummings always seems to be around the ball to force a turnover.

Once you add the scoring of Jesse Morgan, who wasn't playing during three losses at the start of the year, this is a squad that can match up with anyone in the nation.

UCLA

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At 16-12, the results don't say as much as the talent level of UCLA. Even though the Bruins are short-handed due to losing some key players to the NBA, the starting lineup is still one of the best in the nation.

Each of the team's five starters average at least 10 points per game while the group meshes well with great passing, scoring and rebounding. It shined against Arizona in the recent loss, which confused opposing coach Sean Miller:

Unfortunately, the bench has not stepped up to the challenge as no one outside the first five averages more than four points per game. According to KenPom.com, UCLA ranks 345th in the nation in percentage of minutes from the bench this season.

This has clearly been an issue throughout the year and will keep haunting them going forward. However, there is enough skill on the roster to beat any team in any one game. If they sneak into the NCAA tournament, the Bruins could surprise a lot of people.

LSU

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There are many different ways to win in March, but preventing opponents from scoring easy baskets is a pretty good one. LSU's Jordan Mickey is a strong candidate for the best defender in the nation thanks to his elite shot-blocking skills and knack for grabbing just about every rebound around him.

Meanwhile, fellow big man Jarell Martin adds plenty of skill on both ends of the court while also being able to do this in a game:

This frontcourt tandem is as good as almost any in the nation, and it has helped LSU win a lot of tough games this year. The Tigers also were close to pulling off the massive upset against Kentucky before losing by two.

There are some bad losses that have held them back this year, including defeats at Missouri and Mississippi State. Still, the personnel on this team gives it a chance outmuscle some better opponents in March.

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