NCAA Sleepers 2015: Teams to Watch During March Madness

It really and truly is the best time of the year, college basketball fans.

As we gear up for Selection Sunday, most of the talk seems to be about which bubble teams will make it into the NCAA men's tournament and which teams will get the No. 1 seeds.

But what about the rest of the pack? You know—the teams that are locked into the tournament but nobody seems to be talking about.

You know, the sleepers.

This list will introduce you to some of the teams that are not projected to be top seeds but have something special—be it an elite offense, defense, superstar or coach—that could spur them deep into the tournament.

Here are seven sleeper teams to watch out for during March Madness.

All seeding projections via B/R's Kerry Miller and are current as of Saturday at 3 p.m. ET. 

San Diego State

Isaac Brekken/Associated Press

As you might have heard, points have been at a premium during this college basketball season. While offensive plays might be the ones that fill up the SportsCenter Top 10, defense is what it takes to be a great team.

Defense is exactly why San Diego State is on this list. The Aztecs have held their opponents to an incredible 53.4 points per game, a total that is third best in the nation.

The regular-season Mountain West co-champions are projected to be a seventh seed, meaning San Diego State could be facing an elite team in the first weekend.

Trust me: No top team wants to be staring into the eyes of the Aztecs' stingy defense.

An early upset could spur San Diego State onto an NCAA tournament run to remember.

Davidson

Mary Altaffer/Associated Press

The Davidson Wildcats have had an improbable season, winning the Atlantic 10 regular-season title and ending the year with a 10-game winning streak heading into the Atlantic 10 tournament semifinals Saturday.

They're not only the sixth-best scoring team in the nation, averaging over 80 points per game, but they're also unselfish—the Wildcats are third in the nation in assists.

As Scott Fowler of The Charlotte Observer noted, "Davidson’s offense is a whirlwind of screens, cuts, handoffs and three-pointers (Davidson makes 10.9 three-pointers per game, second best in America)."

On Friday, in the Atlantic 10 tournament quarterfinals, Davidson proved that it's not only good—but it's also clutch—when the team beat La Salle 67-66 on a buzzer-beater by Tyler Kalinoski.

This is a team that has what it takes to make waves in the Big Dance.

Northern Iowa

Tom Gannam/Associated Press

Don't you dare underestimate the Northern Iowa Panthers just because they're in the Missouri Valley Conference. If you do, they will certainly make you pay.

The Panthers—which are currently projected to be a No. 4 seed—have been dangerous all year long. They finished the year with an impressive 30-3 record, a No. 10 ranking in the AP Top 25 and a Missouri Valley Conference championship.

At one point, they won 16 games in a row.

Northern Iowa's strength is an elite defense that is currently fourth in the nation in points allowed. While the Panthers are not as potent on offense, they are lethally efficient, making 48.3 percent of their shots.

The last time the Panthers made the NCAA tournament was 2010, when they made the Sweet 16. They have the potential to go even further this year.

Xavier

Frank Franklin II/Associated Press

The Xavier Musketeers haven't been a consistent team all season long, but they've done enough to make it into the NCAA tournament and are now peaking at exactly the right time.

The Musketeers haven't lost yet in March, and with impressive upsets over Butler and Georgetown in the Big East tournament, they've proved that they're a force to be reckoned with.

After all, Xavier's Achilles' heel had been an inability to win close games, but with a one-point win over Creighton, an overtime win over Butler and a two-point win over Georgetown all in the past week, that stigma looks to have disappeared.

Xavier is projected to be a No. 8 seed. With an offense that is 33rd in the nation in scoring and seventh in assists—and some stellar recent play by center Matt Stainbrook—the Musketeers look poised to bust some brackets.

Michigan State

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

Michigan State has been a bubble team for most of the year, but things have finally come together for the Spartans lately. They are currently projected to be seeded eighth in the NCAA tournament. 

That's right—as unprecedented as it may be, head coach Tom Izzo has his team playing well in March!

I'm kidding, of course.

This is what we're used to from one of the best coaches in the game. 

This Michigan State team is extremely physical. It is 18th in rebounding margin and seventh in assist-to-turnover ratio, per NCAA.com. Its big stars Denzel Valentine, Branden Dawson and Travis Trice—the "three amigos," as Izzo calls them, per The Associated Press (via The Chronicle-Telegram)—have stepped up recently and look ready to make an impact in the tournament. 

“This is a big time of year for us,” Valentine said during the Big Ten tournament. “This is where Michigan State basketball has made their history, and we want to keep the tradition going.”

Wichita State

USA TODAY Sports

While the Wichita State Shockers are currently ranked No. 12 in the nation, B/R's Kerry Miller has them projected to be a fourth seed, likely due to the fact that they lost to Illinois State in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament.

But you should know by now not to underestimate Wichita State in March.

It was two years ago when the Shockers lived up to their name and made it to the Final Four of the NCAA tournament. Last year, they came into the tournament undefeated but fell in the round of 32 to a surging Kentucky squad—certainly an excusable loss in hindsight.

This year, the Shockers are seventh in the nation in points allowed and are led by juniors Ron Baker (who is averaging 15 points per game) and Fred VanVleet (12.7 points per game).

Both of these stars have experienced and spurred Wichita State's success in recent years. This year shouldn't be any different. Get ready for the Shockers to make waves again.

Oregon

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Watch out for Oregon, everyone.

Not only is it a dangerous team offensively and on the boards, but it is also already feeling the March magic that is needed for a deep NCAA tournament run.

The Ducks have been impressive all year, but they've been especially impressive lately—they have lost only once since February began and are averaging 76.3 points per game.

What is the reason for most of this success? It's Joseph Young, the Pac-12 Player of the Year.

Young is averaging 20.3 points per game, and it's clear that this talented senior doesn't want to ride off into the sunset without making a splash.

On Friday, he hit a game-winning three-pointer from way beyond the arc to give Oregon the upset win over Utah in the Pac-12 semifinals. That shot looked like only a sign of things to come this month.

Sleepers often need superstars, and Young is the perfect candidate.