NCAA Bracket 2018: Highlighting Favorites and Cinderella Teams for March Madness

As the NCAA men's basketball tournament bracket was revealed Sunday, experts and fans alike were quick to point out which teams should go far in the Big Dance, as well as programs that are going to cause trouble as lower seeds.

Virginia, Villanova, Xavier and Kansas earned No. 1 seeds, while St. Bonaventure, UCLA, Arizona State and Syracuse were the last four teams into the Big Dance.

The official March Madness Twitter account gave us a look at the full bracket:

Over the next few days, we'll dive in-depth on every one of the matchups and pick our favorites to win the NCAA tournament and what we think are upset specials no one else in our bracket pool is willing to choose.

Here's a quick glance at a few favorites and upset-minded teams worth watching in the Big Dance.

Favorites

Virginia

Virginia may be one of the favorites to win the NCAA tournament, but it's going to have a difficult path to qualify for the Final Four.

The Cavaliers play a methodical style that bores opponents and fans, but it's effective and that's all that matters to them.

Tony Bennett's team dominated the ACC in a year in which few top programs excelled over the two months of conference play.

The No. 1 overall seed went 17-1 in the ACC regular season and bested the competition in the ACC tournament to complete the double.

Abbie Parr/Getty Images

Virginia carries a load of experience in seniors Devon Hall and Isaiah Wilkins, while sophomores Kyle Guy, Ty Jerome and Mamadi Diakite have stepped up in their second collegiate seasons.

When you watch the Cavaliers, expect a low-scoring affair, as they held opponents under 60 points in seven of their 11 games since the start of February.

However, the defensive assignments for the Cavaliers will be tough throughout March, as they face either Creighton or Kansas State in the round of 32 and will most likely take on Arizona or Kentucky in the Sweet 16.

A potential matchup against Arizona phenom Deandre Ayton or Kentucky's lanky freshman core, led by Kevin Knox, should scare the Cavaliers, but they are one of the most well-coached teams in the nation, and they have a solid chance to advance past the second weekend if their style of play translates against Arizona or Kentucky.

Villanova

The second-best team entering the Big Dance is Villanova, who boast a squad chock-full of high-profile players.

Jay Wright's team is led by National Player of the Year candidate Jalen Brunson, but he is just one cog in the machine that helps the Big East tournament champion run to perfection.

Mikal Bridges, who came alive in the Big East tournament, Donte DiVincenzo and Phil Booth can give any opponent problems from three-point range, while Eric Paschall and Omari Spellman form a nice duo in the frontcourt.

Frank Franklin II/Associated Press

What separates the Wildcats from the rest of the championship favorites is their terrific three-point shooting, as six players shoot over 38 percent from beyond the arc, and three of them are over 40 percent, including Brunson, who leads the team with 19.4 points per game.

Compared to the other No. 1 seeds, Villanova has a favorable draw with West Virginia and Wichita State in its half of the bracket.

However, the one difficult matchup the Wildcats could face early is a showdown with Collin Sexton and Alabama in the round of 32.

Cinderella Teams

Loyola-Chicago

It's been a week since Loyola-Chicago captured our attention by finishing off its terrific run in the Missouri Valley Conference with a conference tournament championship.

Although they've been off our radar for a little bit, the Ramblers are going to be a sexy upset pick you're going to hear a lot about over the next few days.

The Ramblers enter the Big Dance on a 10-game winning streak, and they aren't afraid of taking on power-conference teams, as they possess a win over Florida on their resume.

Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images

Loyola-Chicago is led by Clayton Custer, but the junior guard isn't the only threat on its roster, as five players average over 10 points per game.

With a well-rounded offense and a high level of confidence from their 10-game winning streak, the Ramblers should pose a challenge to Miami in the round of 64.

The Ramblers, who are the No. 11 seed in the South, will be involved in a terrific guard battle against a Hurricanes backcourt that contains Bruce Brown and Lonnie Walker.

If they get past the Hurricanes, the Ramblers should face No. 3 Tennessee, a team that could have trouble with Loyola's guards, and the Volunteers aren't as diverse in the scoring department as their potential round-of-32 opponent.

As long as the Ramblers defend well against the stars of each team, they should be able to fill the Cinderella role with their high-powered offense.    

South Dakota State

South Dakota State is no stranger to earning the potential Cinderella tag before play begins in the NCAA tournament.

The Jackrabbits tested Baylor as a No. 14 seed in 2012 and lost by five to Maryland as a No. 12 seed against Maryland in 2016.

A year ago, the Summit League champions weren't as fortunate, as they fell to No. 1 Gonzaga in the round of 64 by 20 points.

This time around, the Jackrabbits are a No. 12 seed in the West, and they'll face Ohio State in the round of 64.

The reason why South Dakota State is a favorite of men's basketball analysts is Mike Daum, who is one of the best mid-major players in the nation.

Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images

Daum averages 23.8 points and 10.4 rebounds per game, and he's recorded over 20 points in nine of his last 11 games.

The junior will be involved in one of the best individual duels of the round of 64, as he faces Keita Bates-Diop, who has been one of the top success stories in men's basketball.

Don't count out the recent form of both teams as the difference in this contest, as South Dakota State won 10 in a row on the way to the Summit League championship, while the Buckeyes lost three of their last five games, including a defeat in the Big Ten quarterfinals to Penn State.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.