Small-School MCBB Teams You Need to Watch At Least Once Before the NCAA Tournament

Pro tip: Get to know your Cinderella pick before you pencil them in to bust brackets during March Madness.

With conference play in full swing and Selection Sunday fast approaching, now is the perfect time to familiarize yourself with some of the better small schools in the nation in preparation for another NCAA tournament.

Ahead, we've highlighted the best squads that reside outside of the Power Five conferences (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, and SEC) and four other conferences that regularly receive multiple bids (American Athletic, Atlantic 10, Big East, and Mountain West).

What's left is a group of intriguing teams that have a chance to make a splash next month, and each has a different identity to hang its hat on.

Belmont Bruins

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Tyler Lundblade

Record: 24-4, 14-3 in MVC
NET Ranking: 55
Projected Seed: No. 12

The Belmont Bruins were March Madness staples a decade ago but have not been to the NCAA Tournament since 2019, their final season under longtime head coach Rick Byrd. Now they are the clear favorites to stake claim to the Missouri Valley Conference's automatic bid, and also have a legitimate at-large case to boot.

Despite that layoff, they have still won at least 20 games in each of the last seven seasons, and this year's roster is a sharp-shooting group that averages 10.5 made threes and shoots a blistering 40.2 percent from beyond the arc.

They have not played a Quad 1 opponent, but have five Quad 2 victories and an impressive 13-2 record in road and neutral-site games. Their ability to get hot from distance and comfort away from home makes them a potentially tough draw in March.

High Point Panthers

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Terry Anderson

Record: 24-4, 12-1 in Big South
NET Ranking: 78
Projected Seed: No. 13

The High Point Panthers made their NCAA tournament debut last season, but there is very little carryover from that roster. That includes the head coach's set, as assistant Flynn Clayman took over after Alan Huss departed to serve as the heir to Greg McDermott at Creighton.

They've carved out an identity as one of the nation's most prolific offenses, averaging 91.8 points per game and ranking 55th in KenPom's adjusted metric. They are also riding an eight-game winning streak with three games left to go on the regular-season slate.

Rob Martin (SE Missouri State), Conrad Martinez (Arizona), Cam'Ron Fletcher (Xavier), and Owen Aquino (Liberty) have all made an immediate impact after being picked up in the transfer portal. Meanwhile, Terry Anderson has seen his minutes nearly double and his scoring output spike to a team-high 15.6 points per game.

Liberty Flames

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Kaden Metheny

Record: 22-3, 14-0 in CUSA
NET Ranking: 75
Projected Seed: No. 12

The Liberty Flames play at a grind-it-out tempo that ranks 334th in pace of play, making them an uncomfortable matchup for teams that want to run and gun.

Despite leading scorer Taelon Peter moving on to the NBA as a second-round pick, the offense has actually been even more potent this season, thanks in large part to sophomore Brett Decker Jr. taking a massive step forward.

After playing just 6.8 minutes per game as a freshman, Decker is now averaging 17.0 points while shooting 48.9 percent from three-point range. His 86 threes also lead Conference USA and rank 11th in the nation. With a go-to scorer and an uncomfortable tempo, they could pull off a March upset.

Miami (OH) RedHawks

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Peter Suder

Record: 25-0, 12-0 in MAC
NET Ranking: 51
Projected Seed: No. 11

The Miami RedHawks are the highest-scoring team in the country, averaging 92.6 points per game. A respectable No. 61 ranking in KenPom's adjusted offensive efficiency metric also shows they are doing more than simply running it up against lesser competition.

Elite shooting percentages from both inside the arc (64.4%, 1st in NCAA) and outside the arc (40.1%, 5th in NCAA) speak to their offensive versatility. Individually, returning All-MAC selection Peter Suder has quietly been one of the better point guards in the country.

They climbed to No. 22 in the latest AP poll, and are ranked for the first time since the 1998-99 season when Wally Szczerbiak led them on a Cinderella run to the Sweet Sixteen as a No. 10 seed. They are seeking their first NCAA tournament berth since 2007.

Santa Clara Broncos

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Christian Hammond

Record: 22-6, 13-2 in WCC
NET Ranking: 42
Projected Seed: No. 11

With a Quad 1 victory over Saint Mary's and close losses against Gonzaga (94-86) and Saint Louis (71-70), Santa Clara has more exposure against tournament-caliber competition than anyone else on this list and has proven it can hang with a quality opponent.

They also beat McNeese State, Nevada, Minnesota, and Xavier on the Quad 2 line, and while the West Coast Conference has often been a two-bid league, they could get a third bid for the fourth time in conference history.

After playing sparingly as a freshman and then redshirting as a sophomore, Christian Hammond has emerged as the team's leading scorer, averaging 16.4 points and shooting 39.3 percent from beyond the arc. He leads a nine-man rotation that will help keep this team from getting run out of the gym by a superior athletic opponent.

Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks

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Matt Braeuer

Record: 24-3, 17-1 in Southland
NET Ranking: 74
Projected Seed: No. 13

After a 14-17 finish a year ago, the Lumberjacks have turned things around in a major way, led by an elite perimeter defense that allows just 5.7 made threes (9th in NCAA) and 28.9 percent from beyond the arc (7th in NCAA).

New head coach Matt Braeuer was plucked from an assistant role at Texas Tech, and his high-intensity defensive scheme has led to 8.3 steals per game and no shortage of fast-break opportunities. On the offensive end, guard Keon Thompson shoulders the load, leading the Southland with 18.4 points per game.

They will need to hold off a good McNeese State team in the Southland Conference tournament, as it will likely be a one-bid league, and they split the season series with the Cowboys, with the games decided by a combined nine points.

Yale Bulldogs

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Nick Townsend

Record: 20-4, 8-2 in Ivy League
NET Ranking: 64
Projected Seed: No. 12

After upsetting No. 4 seed Auburn in the 2024 NCAA tournament and then returning to March Madness as a No. 13 seed a year ago, the Bulldogs have emerged as the class of the Ivy League in recent years.

Nick Townsend plays a similar role to the one Danny Wolf did for the 2024 team as a 6'7" forward who can score and facilitate, averaging 16.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists while connecting on 38-of-75 from beyond the arc.

The Bulldogs have knocked down an NCAA-leading 41.9 percent clip from three-point range, but they are not overreliant on threes, averaging a modest 21.2 per game, which gives them boom upside without the bust potential of a team that lives and dies with the deep ball.