NCAA Tournament 2015: Top Sleeper Teams Heading into March Madness

With Selection Sunday fast approaching, the hype surrounding the 2015 NCAA tournament is growing at an alarming rate. Although, while everyone is making plenty of fuss about the undefeated Kentucky Wildcats and other top contenders and debating over which bubble teams will participate in the Big Dance, there are other teams that aren't getting enough recognition.

That's right, we're talking sleepers.

After all, what would March Madness be without sleeper teams? These potentially bracket-busting squads can alter the course of the tournament in the blink of an eye—it happens every year (see: 2014 Dayton for the most recent example).

So, what makes a team a sleeper? It's pretty simple. A sleeper cannot be projected any higher than a No. 4 seed—so, basically, ranked lower than 12th in the nation right now—and must have the tools necessary to warrant the possibility of a deep tournament run. That said, let's take a look at a few candidates that meet the criteria.

Iowa State

USA TODAY Sports

Ranked 13th in the nation, the Cyclones may be headed for a No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament, depending on the outcome of the Big 12 tournament. This team has the ability to light up the scoreboard in the blink of an eye, making it the epitome of a March Madness sleeper.

Following the conclusion of the regular season, Iowa State ranks ninth in the nation in scoring, eighth in assists and 12th in field-goal percentage. The Cyclones' high-octane transition offense routinely generates enough points to mask their defensive deficiencies.

Junior forward Georges Niang is a player to watch in the Big Dance. He's averaging 15.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game while shooting 47.0 percent from the floor and 41.2 percent from downtown. He finished the season with a flourish, scoring 23 points in a big win over Oklahoma and another 19 against TCU in the finale.

After two big second-half showings in those games, Cyclones coach Fred Hoiberg spoke of his team's resilience during a press conference with The Associated Press, via ESPN.com:

"We just played how we're capable of playing now in two second halves in a row. It can't stay like that. You've got to come out and get off to a great start and continue to play that way for 40 minutes. If we do that, we're going to be a pretty good team the rest of the way."

This team has plenty of momentum heading into the postseason and is poised to do some major damage.

Baylor

USA TODAY Sports

Don't sleep on the 16th-ranked Bears heading into postseason action. Baylor suffered some bad losses earlier in the regular season, dropping games to Illinois, Kansas State and Oklahoma State; however, it finally found its groove down the final stretch, defeating Texas, West Virginia (twice) and Iowa State.

Baylor is a solid rebounding team that flourishes by creating turnovers and refusing to allow good looks to opponents with a unique zone defense. Head coach Scott Drew puts his players in position to create constant pressure on ball-handlers, forcing mistakes and low-percentage shots. This scheme has led the Bears to rank 30th in the nation in points allowed.

The Bears' late-season victory over West Virginia was very telling of just how good their defense can be. The Mountaineers turned the ball over 13 times and attempted 24 shots from three-point range, leading to an overall team shooting percentage of 40.3.

West Virginia coach Bob Huggins was frustrated with his team's turnovers and shared his thoughts on the game during a press conference with The Associated Press, via ESPN.com:

"We had nine turnovers in the first half, and most of them were live ball turnovers. That killed us. That killed us in the first half. You can't make live ball turnovers. We just had guys who hadn't been out there really by themselves. And it's hard to make any adjustments."

Offensively, Baylor can put up big points when it gets hot. Taurean Prince and Royce O'Neale have been fantastic from downtown this season and junior forward Rico Gathers continues to bully opponents down low. That's the kind of versatility that will help propel this team deep into the Big Dance.

Louisville

USA TODAY Sports

All right, let's take a trip outside of the Big 12 and discuss the Cardinals of the ACC. Louisville finished the regular season ranked 14th in the nation and has been in the shadow of the conference's other top contenders. Well, it's time for Rick Pitino's squad to step into the limelight.

The Cardinals have been a solid defensive team all season, ranking 18th in points allowed, 11th in blocks and 15th in steals. Much of that production has been due to the tenacity of junior forward Montrezl Harrell, who is averaging 15.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 57.3 percent from the floor.

After Louisville's disappointing late-season showing against Notre Dame, in which the team was blown out by a score of 71-59, it was left with the daunting task of taking on Virginia in its finale. Led by a brilliant 20-point, 12-rebound performance from Harrell, the Cardinals edged out the Cavaliers 59-57.

During a press conference, via Jeff Greer of The Courier-Journal, Pitino praised the way his team played against a tough Virginia squad:

"

We had 19 [deflections] at halftime (against Virginia), in a slow-down game with not a lot of possessions. We had 10 steals in the game. So I think they see everything in front of them and what they can do if they get their defensive goals. And then from the offensive end, I think they realize if they share the basketball and they understand where the openings are going to occur—especially Montrezl in the last game.

"

With a great leader in Harrell on the court and one of the nation's best coaches on the sidelines, Louisville has the experience and talent to turn some heads in the NCAA tournament.