NCAA Basketball Tournament 2018: Predictions for Bracket-Busting Sleeper Teams

Sleeper teams in the NCAA men's basketball tournament appear in a variety of forms.

A year ago, South Carolina emerged out of nowhere as a Final Four team, while Xavier and Wisconsin made runs into the second weekend of the Big Dance.

Bracket busters can also be found in the form of mid-major programs who didn't receive much spotlight throughout the regular season but have the potential to shock the nation due to the talent on their roster.

With all the unpredictability surrounding March Madness, we could witness a phenomenon similar to 2014, when Mercer, Stephen F. Austin, Dayton, Harvard and North Dakota State won as double-digit seeds.

Below is a look at one team from each of the four regions who could make an unexpected run and wreak havoc on your bracket, which can be found in full here.

Alabama

Alabama proved during the SEC tournament it is capable of making a deep run in the tournament format, and it has potential to spring one of the top upsets of the first weekend as the No. 9 seed in the East.

The Collin Sexton-led Crimson Tide open with No. 8 Virginia Tech before a round-of-32 clash with No. 1 Villanova awaits Saturday.

If there's a team capable of knocking off the top-seeded Wildcats early in the Big Dance, it's the Crimson Tide.

Sexton thrived on his biggest stage yet at the collegiate level at the SEC tournament, as he scored 79 points over three days in St. Louis, Missouri.

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The quarterfinal win over Auburn presented us with a perfect example of why the Crimson Tide can be a troubling team for high seeds over the next few weeks.

In addition to Sexton's 31 points, Avery Johnson's team received double-digit point contributions from Dazon Ingram and Donta Hall.

If Sexton receives similar production from his supporting cast in the Big Dance, the Crimson Tide could be a dangerous team in an East bracket that carries the potential for a plethora of upsets.

Montana

No. 14 Montana's chances of winning a single game at the NCAA tournament will be discredited right away since it faces one of the hottest teams in the nation in No. 3 Michigan.

However if you're feeling risky, the Grizzlies might be a team to bank on to advance to the second weekend of the Big Dance.

The 26-7 Grizzlies have lost two games since December 28 and enter March Madness on a six-game winning streak.

Montana possesses three players capable of wreaking havoc on opposing defenses in Ahmaad Rorie, Michael Oguine and Jamar Akoh, all of whom average over 13 points per game.

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Rorie could be a matchup nightmare for Michigan's guards, as he plays a role in every facet of the game, with 17.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.2 steals per contest.

History doesn't support the Grizzlies pulling off the unthinkable against a Big Ten opponent, as it enters with a 2-11 NCAA tournament record, with the last win coming in 2006 as a No. 12 seed over Nevada.

What could play in Montana's favor is the extended rest Michigan received after the conclusion of the Big Ten tournament.

If the Grizzlies come out fast and the Wolverines struggle to find a rhythm following their long layoff, we could witness an upset.

If they knock off Michigan, the Grizzlies face a winnable round-of-32 showdown versus either No. 6 Houston or No. 11 San Diego State, who both have displayed flaws throughout the campaign.

Davidson

Bob McKillop's No. 12 Davidson Wildcats face one of the steepest tests of the round of 64, as they face No. 5 Kentucky.

On paper, almost everyone will count out the Atlantic 10 tournament champion given the wealth of young talent on the Kentucky roster.

However, the youth of the Wildcats could play right into the hands of Davidson, as John Calipari's team displayed inconsistencies throughout SEC action.

Davidson is one of the hottest teams heading into the Big Dance, as it pulled off wins in eight of its last nine games with a triple-overtime loss to St. Bonaventure being the only slip up.

Senior Peyton Aldridge proved during the Atlantic 10 tournament he's capable of carrying the Wildcats in a tournament format, as he reeled off 72 points in three games, including a 35-point performance against Saint Louis in the quarterfinals.

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One of the best-kept secrets on the national stage scored over 30 points on five occasions, and reached double digits in the points column in each of his 33 games.

If Kentucky's freshmen fail to keep up with Aldridge, and the supporting cast led by Kellan Grady and Jon Axel Gudmundsson rise to the occasion, an upset could be in the cards.

Before you discount Davidson's ability to pull off multiple wins in the NCAA tournament, remember McKillop's team reached the Elite Eight 10 years ago behind Stephen Curry.

Seton Hall

No. 8 Seton Hall holds one of men's basketball's top matchup nightmares in Angel Delgado.

The senior big man averages 13.3 points and 11.6 rebounds per game for a Pirates team laced with experience.

Delgado and his classmates suffered defeats in the round of 64 in each of the last two years to Gonzaga and Arkansas, and they'll be looking to reverse that trend in their latest attempt at a run in the NCAA tournament.

What makes Delgado's paint presence so dangerous is the weaknesses No. 1 Kansas showed in that area of the court at stretches this season.

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If Delgado bruises in the paint with Udoka Azubuike, Silvio De Sousa and Mitch Lightfoot and gets them into foul trouble, he could dominate the frontcourt and open up an advantage for the Pirates.

Not only can the Pirates win the game down low, their roster contains a wide array of shooters, including sophomore Myles Powell, who had two of his best performances against NCAA tournament teams Rhode Island and Xavier.

As we've seen in the past, Kansas is susceptible to an early exit and Seton Hall might have the perfect variety in its game to pull off a stunner in Wichita, Kansas.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.