March Madness Sleepers

By Andrew Musur on February 25, 2015

March Madness wouldn’t be called that if there wasn’t any madness.

Every year lower seeds pull off incredible Cinderella runs, leaving the country to wonder when the heck did that team get so good. We still have quite some time from now until Selection Sunday, but I’ve seen plenty of teams this year that could make a deep run in the tournament.

Here are my NCAA tournament sleepers.

No. 14 The University of Maryland, Big Ten Conference, 23-5 (11-4)

You may be surprised to see Maryland on a “sleeper” list, giving that Joe Lunardi has the Terrapins as a four seed in his latest Bracketology, but Maryland is a team I would never want to face during March Madness.

The Terrapins have been on a sizzling run winning their last four games including an impressive win over number five, Wisconsin. Freshman Melo Trimble has been a huge contributor for the Terrapins. Trimble has put up an average of 20 points per game during Maryland’s winning streak.

But Trimble isn’t the only player that makes Maryland such a terrifying draw. Senior Dez Wells has been playing his best basketball of the year since his broken wrist. The tandem of Trimble and Wells should anchor a deep run for Maryland.

No. 21 Southern Methodist University, American Athletic Conference, 22-5 (13-2)

SMU has been a tough team to pinpoint this year. The Mustangs started the year out losing three of their first five games. Though their losses came to Gonzaga, Indiana and Arkansas, that is no way a team wants to start the season.

Luckily for the Mustangs they rebounded and have only lost two games since November 25. The Mustangs are led by junior guard, Nic Moore. Moore has been lights out from beyond the arc hitting 46 percent of his three pointers. The 5-foot-9 speedster also has a knack for sharing the ball; Moore is averaging 5.4 assists per game.

There is a lot to like about this SMU team; for starters, they pass the ball. SMU ranked 17th nationally in assists averaging 15.9 per game, but what’s even more impressive is how SMU shoots the ball.

The Mustangs rank in the top 10 in field goal percentage, hitting nearly 50 percent of their shots. SMU hasn’t been tested much in conference play, but I think they have the ability to hang around with anyone in the tournament. They have come a long way as a team since their Selection Sunday snub last year.

No. 24 San Diego State University, Mountain West Conference, 22-6 (12-3)

http://a.fssta.com

If you haven’t watched much of San Diego State this year you should. The Aztecs are in position to win their second consecutive Mountain West Conference championship, and their fourth in five years.

San Diego State has played some very impressive games this year including wins over ranked Utah, Wyoming and Colorado State teams. The Aztecs even took number seven, Arizona, to the wire losing by two.

I expect San Diego State to make a deep run in this year’s tournament especially with their height advantage. All five of the Aztec’s starters stand over 6-foot-3, and three starters are 6-foot-7 and taller. San Diego’s height advantage will make it difficult for teams to match up with them.

North Carolina State University, Atlantic Coast Conference, 17-11 (8-7)

There is no saying whether or not NC State will make this year’s tournament, but if they do watch out.

The Wolfpack have had some terrible losses on the season, including a one point loss to Wofford college and bad conference loses to Wake Forest and Clemson.

The Wolfpack may be on the bubble come Selection Sunday, but if they get into the dance they will be a hard team to knock out. Junior Trevor Lacey has been the catalyst to this year’s team. Lacey has provided offensive fire power hitting over 40 percent of his field goals and three pointers.

The biggest reason I think North Carolina State will be a giant sleeper in this year’s tournament is because they have three of the most impressive wins of any team in the country. The Wolfpack knocked off Duke (87-75, Home), Louisville (74-65, Road) and North Carolina (58-46, Road), and took Notre Dame and Virginia to the wire.

Yes, NC State has some very bad losses, but the way they compete when they are playing the top competition in the country is something to take note of. I not only expect the Wolfpack to make the tournament, but to make some noise come March.

Murray State University, Ohio Valley Conference, 24-4 (14-0)

Murray State is one of the hottest teams in the country, winners of their last 22 games. The Racers are only behind Kentucky when it comes to most consecutive games won. Though the Racers don’t have any eye popping wins, that doesn’t mean they won’t be able to compete come March.

Murray State should have no problem winning out and taking home the Ohio Valley Conference title, but a NCAA tournament run is what any Racer fan wants to see. The biggest strength for Murray State is they have the ability to score. The Racers rank 13th in the country in points per game (79.5) and 9th in field goal percentage (48.8 percent).

Murray State will need sophomore, Cameron Payne, to continue his offensive production. Payne is averaging nearly 20 points a game. Payne and the Racers fast paced offense will be fun to watch come tournament time.

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