March Madness 2017: Analyzing Underrated NCAA Tournament Contenders

With Selection Sunday rapidly approaching, basically every seed is up for grabs heading into the NCAA tournament, and that includes the No. 1 seeds.

While the likes of Kansas, Villanova, North Carolina, UCLA and Gonzaga will flirt with the possibility of a top seed or a No. 2 seed in the tournament, there are still plenty of teams in the country that can give any of the nation's top programs a run for their money during March Madness. 

Sure, teams like Kentucky and Louisville will make some noise as they usually do, but what about the teams behind them, flirting with the possibility of making a Cinderella-esque run in the Big Dance?

Keep in mind that these teams aren't going to be No. 16 seeds or anything lower than a third or fourth seed, but it would still be a shock to see them make a run to the Final Four. 

Florida State

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Currently ranked No. 15 in the Associated Press Poll and No. 17 in the USA Today Coaches Poll, the Florida State Seminoles are a fringe top-15 team in the country that have a lot of talent and athleticism on their roster to make some interesting mismatches come tournament time.

With a freshman like Jonathan Isaac, who stands at 6'10 1/2" and plays on the perimeter, how many teams in the country can guard a player like that? But it's not just a one-man show for the Seminoles as they have other scorers who can step and carry their team. 

Constantly overlooked because of Isaac is Dwayne Bacon, who leads Florida State in scoring with 16.9 points per game. Bacon is another athletic and big wing at 6'7" and 221 pounds, who can bang down low and create havoc for opposing defenses.

Speaking of wreaking havoc, Florida State have one of the best scoring units in the country, averaging 83 points per game which ranks ahead of the likes of Kansas (82.7), Purdue (80.8) and Duke (80.5), according to ESPN.com. 

The Seminoles are not a team that you want to overlook this postseason. 

Butler

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Butler just knows how to win basketball games, especially during the month of March. The Bulldogs already have Final Four experience when Brad Stevens was their head coach before he departed for the Boston Celtics. But now, Butler is ranked No. 11 in both the AP and Coaches polls.

But a high ranking isn't the only feather in Butler's proverbial cap. The Bulldogs are 23-6 overall and have landmark victories over tough competition this season, including a win over Arizona and two victories against projected top-seeded Villanova, per CBS Sports.

It's no secret that Butler will face an uphill battle to make noise in this year's tournament, but that's exactly how the country felt the last time it made a run to the national championship game back in 2010.

Playing a team like Butler in the NCAA tournament, regardless of how high of a seed your team is, is bad news. The Bulldogs mean business this season and could easily find themselves knocking on the door of an Elite eight appearance.

Arizona 

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Calling the Arizona Wildcats an underrated team in the grand scheme of things is a bit harsh, especially since they're ranked in the top 10 in both the AP and Coaches Polls. I think the word "underappreciated" is a bit more suitable. 

The Wildcats are ranked first in the Pac-12, yet they are ranked lower than UCLA in both polls despite the fact that the two teams split the season series at one apiece. Even though the Bruins defeated the Wildcats as recently as Feb. 25, the rankings don't really make sense. But maybe being overlooked is a good thing for Arizona.

After all, not having so much expectation heading into March Madness could allow the team to play loose without worrying about making mistakes, especially since Arizona has a fairly young team. Led by arguably the best shooter in college basketball in Lauri Markkanen, the Wildcats have a dangerous starting five that can stretch the floor like few teams in the country can. 

How many teams have a seven-footer like Markkanen who can spot up from anywhere beyond the three-point line and shoot the ball with confidence with a 42.8 percent success rate from deep? Not only will Markkanen improve his draft stock for the upcoming NBA draft this summer, he may also lead his team to a Final Four appearance as a second, third or even fourth seed in the Big Dance.