NCAA Tournament 2015: Low Seeds with Best Chance at a Deep Run After Round of 64
After two jam-packed days of play in the 2015 NCAA tournament, we have 32 schools standing. Five double-digit teams lived to see the third round, but all No. 1 and No. 2 seeds are still alive.
Still, there are some lower seeds that made quite a statement in the round of 64, and some of them have the potential to make a run to the Elite Eight (or beyond).
In choosing these teams, I only considered seeds No. 7 or lower. I looked for teams with star players, experienced coaches or open draws that could make them real sleepers in this tournament.
I ordered the slides according to the likelihood of each team making it to the Elite Eight. Here are the low seeds you need to watch out for as the tournament continues.
No. 14 Georgia State
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The 14th-seeded Georgia State Panthers busted 92 percent of ESPN's brackets when they came back from 12 down with under three minutes to go to defeat No. 3 Baylor in the round of 64.
In true Cinderella form, they also captured the hearts of America when R.J. Hunter made the game-winning three-pointer while his father, Ron Hunter, the coach of the team, fell off of his rolling stool on the sidelines celebrating. (Ron was relegated to the stool when he tore his Achilles celebrating the Panthers' Sun Belt championship title.)
It was the epitome of a memorable moment at the tournament, and it showcased that this team is feeling the magic.
Georgia State faces Xavier in the round of 32 on Saturday. If R.J.—who was cold for the first 37 minutes of the game but scored 12 in the final 2:39—can stay hot for the entire contest, the Panthers have a shot to take down the Musketeers and make it to the Sweet 16.
In the Sweet 16, they would play either No. 10 Ohio State or No. 2 Arizona.
I'm not saying it's likely the Panthers will advance to the Elite Eight, but they've already overcome so many odds. You simply can't count them out.
No. 11 UCLA
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Many thought No. 11 UCLA didn't even have a good enough resume to get into the NCAA tournament, but the Bruins let their play do the talking as they upset No. 6 SMU 60-59 on Friday.
The win didn't come without controversy, though. Down two points with only 13 seconds left, UCLA's Bryce Alford shot a three-pointer that SMU's Yanick Moreira tipped away at the end. It's debatable whether it was going in the basket, but officials called goaltending and gave UCLA the three points.
Now, UCLA will actually be the favorites in its round-of-32 game against another Cinderella, No. 14 UAB. In the Sweet 16, the Bruins would potentially face No. 2 Gonzaga or No. 7 Iowa—both tough, but not indestructible, foes.
Alford—son of UCLA coach Steve Alford—led the Bruins with 27 points against SMU, and he needs to keep putting up numbers like that if the Bruins are to stay alive.
No. 11 Dayton
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Things just look to be breaking the right way for the No. 11 Dayton Flyers this March, and honestly, that's at least half the battle.
Archie Miller's squad was one of the First Four teams, which meant it played its first-round game in Dayton in front of its own crowd. The Flyers didn't have to travel far for their second-round game against No. 6 Providence; that game was in Columbus.
On Friday night (and Saturday morning), the Flyers looked like the team that made a run to the Elite Eight last year, taking out Providence 66-53. Dyshawn Pierre was superb, scoring 20 points and getting nine rebounds, an above-average performance for him.
But the real reasons why I'm touting Dayton's chances are because of the experience from last year, its great coach and its nice bracket. The Flyers are set to face a vulnerable No. 3 Oklahoma team in the round of 32, and then they would battle No. 2 Virginia or No. 7 Michigan State in the Sweet 16.
Of course, there's nothing easy about any of those teams, but they're also not Kentucky.
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No. 8 Oregon
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Why do I believe so much in Oregon? Two words: Joseph Young.
The Oregon senior is averaging 20.4 points per game this year, and he scored 27 in No. 8 Oregon's round-of-64 win over No. 9 Oklahoma State.
This is Young's final NCAA tournament, and he's certainly not going to want it to end during the first weekend, especially against the No. 1 Wisconsin Badgers in the round of 32. After all, the Badgers sent the Ducks packing in the same round last year.
Young is even better this time around, which is why Oregon is the only No. 8 seed that can take out a No. 1. Wisconsin's fast-paced and electric offense matches up well against Oregon's gritty defense. It will be a true contrast of styles.
If Oregon makes it to the Sweet 16, it would have another tough matchup against either No. 5 Arkansas or No. 4 North Carolina, but I'd give the Ducks an edge in that one as well.
You simply can't count out a team with a star like Young.
No. 10 Ohio State
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Speaking of star players you can't count out, meet D'Angelo Russell.
The freshman guard scored 28 points Thursday, which was enough to lead No. 10 Ohio State over No. 7 VCU 75-72 in overtime. Russell's performance—including six rebounds, two steals and two blocks—helped the Buckeyes overcome a 12-point deficit and prevail.
"He's a winner. The kid loves to win. He's going to do whatever he can to win basketball games," Ohio State coach Thad Matta said, as reported by The Associated Press (via ESPN).
The Buckeyes are a solid team all around, and with Russell leading the way, they can certainly ruffle some feathers and make the Elite Eight. After all, they have a high-scoring offense that averages 75.8 points per game, and they have a gritty defense ranked 20th in the nation in blocks and 31st in steals.
Ohio State gets No. 2 Arizona in the round of 32, clearly a very difficult challenge. If the Buckeyes do spring the upset, I'd favor them over No. 6 Xavier or No. 14 Georgia State in the next matchup.
No. 7 Michigan State
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It's March, and I'm predicting the Michigan State Spartans to have a good run in the NCAA tournament. That feels familiar.
The Spartans are seeded seventh after a lackluster regular season, but they found some fire in recent weeks and have begun to look like Tom Izzo teams of years past—even if they don't quite have the talent.
"We're an interesting team," Izzo said Friday, as reported by The Associated Press (via ESPN).
In the round of 64, Michigan State took out No. 10 Georgia 70-63, and now the Spartans have a shot to knock off No. 2 Virginia in the round of 32. This team has the experience, power and spurts of greatness that can lead it to an upset over the Cavaliers in the NCAA tournament for the second year in a row.
If Michigan State does get past a Virginia team that has not looked dominant in recent weeks, it would face No. 3 Oklahoma or No. 11 Dayton in the Sweet 16—both games in which I'd pick Michigan State.
So, yes, it's possible for the Spartans to have another March run. (Isn't it always?)
No. 7 Wichita State
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Teams don't need any extra motivation in the NCAA tournament, but Wichita State will certainly have it Sunday when the Shockers face off against in-state rival Kansas.
The No. 7 Shockers set up this dream matchup when they defeated No. 10 Indiana on Friday, 81-76. Fred VanVleet led the way, matching a career-high 27 points.
The Shockers haven't played Kansas, the prominent program in the state, since 1993. They have been trying to establish a series with the Jayhawks, but Bill Self always declines. At long last, Wichita State will get a chance to prove its worth.
"Much like last season's team, which lost in the round of 32 to Kentucky, these Shockers take on the personality of their coach," Eric Prisbell of USA Today wrote. "Tough and hard-nosed, with a bit of a chip on their shoulder."
The Shockers have a great chance to use that grit in the Sweet 16, where they would have a look at No. 3 Notre Dame or No. 6 Butler.
We know the Shockers can shock in March, and there's a good chance they might do it again this year.
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