NCAA Upset Predictions 2018: Cinderella Picks for March Madness Bracket

If you take a deep enough look at the 2018 NCAA men's basketball tournament bracket, you'll find plenty of matchups where upsets are possible.

The most popular Cinderella picks are usually teams that range from No. 11 to No. 14 seeds, but we've seen No. 15 seeds achieve success in recent years in the form of Florida Gulf Coast and Middle Tennessee.

Given the instability of some top programs in men's basketball this season, we could witness more upsets Thursday and Friday to set up advances by surprise teams into the second weekend of the Big Dance.

The most likely teams capable of making a shock run contain a top player you've never heard of or enter the NCAA tournament on an impressive run of form.

South Dakota State

This could be the year No. 12 South Dakota State finally pulls off an upset.

The Jackrabbits were a sexy upset pick during the Nate Wolters era at the start of the decade, but they weren't able to earn their first-ever NCAA tournament victory.

Mike Daum is currently the star at the center of the program, and the junior is hoping to erase the memory of last season's 20-point loss to Gonzaga in the round of 64.

The Summit League tournament champion for three years running faces No. 5 Ohio State in the round of 64 in a matchup that could favor head coach T.J. Otzelberger's team.

Young Kwak/Associated Press

Ohio State is coming off a long layoff from the Big Ten tournament in which it fell in the quarterfinals to Penn State, while South Dakota State enters with an 11-game winning streak.

Daum is expected to be involved in one of the best individual matchups in the round of 64, as he goes up against Keita Bates-Diop, who is arguably the most improved player in men's basketball.

Daum averages 23.8 points and 10.4 rebounds per game, while Bates-Diop averages 19.4 points and 8.8 rebounds per contest.

If Daum wins the battle in the frontcourt against Bates-Diop, the Jackrabbits could finally get over the hump and set up a second-round showdown with the king of the mid-majors, Gonzaga.

Arizona State

Since the First Four was introduced in 2011, at least one of the victorious at-large teams has won in the round of 64.

USC became the latest team to follow the path created by VCU seven years ago with a win over SMU as a No. 11 seed in 2017.

While it may not be a sensible pick given its recent results, Arizona State is capable of following in USC's footsteps to make a run in the Big Dance.

It's crazy to think a team that went 8-10 in Pac-12 play and lost in the first round of the Pac-12 tournament is even in the discussion to be a Cinderella team, but the Sun Devils could pull it off.

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

Before their season went south in conference play, the Sun Devils knocked off Xavier and Kansas in nonconference play, a pair of victories that boosted their resume and got them into the tournament.

The losers of five of their last six games face a Syracuse team that isn't worth writing home about either.

However, the Sun Devils get a TCU team that carries a two-game losing streak into March Madness in the round of 64.

If the Arizona State senior backcourt of Tra Holder and Shannon Evans performs well in the First Four, it could create momentum for a dominant performance against TCU.

If this occurs, it would be one of the most unexpected Cinderella runs in recent memory, but it could be a perfect representation of how chaotic and unpredictable this season has been.

New Mexico State

The East appears like the best bracket for upsets to occur given the instability of a few high seeds, including No. 5 Clemson.

No. 12 New Mexico State is in good position to pounce for its first NCAA tournament win in seven appearances this decade.

The Aggies again dominated the WAC, as they bring a 28-5 overall record into the Big Dance as well as a six-game winning streak.

Michael Hickey/Getty Images

Like a few of the mid-major conference champions in the NCAA tournament, the Aggies faced little trouble in conference play, as they lost twice in the WAC.

What separates New Mexico State from the other potential Cinderella teams is the difficult nonconference schedule it put together that includes wins over Miami and Davidson and losses to USC and Saint Mary's.

The Aggies should also contain a bit of a home-court advantage against Clemson since the game is being played in San Diego.

Jemerrio Jones, who is second in the nation in rebounding, has to be the X-factor in order for New Mexico State to win in the round of 64, as he averages 11 points, 13.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game.

If the double-double machine, who had 15 points and 19 rebounds in the WAC tournament final, cleans up on the glass and limits Clemson's second-chance opportunities, he could create momentum for the Aggies to take advantage of on the other side of the court.

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Statistics obtained from ESPN.com