Which Underdog Will Be the Most Dangerous in the NCAA Tournament?

The real question every NCAA Tournament that fascinates us all is the Cinderella story. Here are the favorites to provide the story in 2010 that will keep everyone interested. First of all I'm only going to consider non Big-Six Conference teams and they must also be a lock to make the tournament at this point.

Out of the Atlantic 10 Conference one is faced with three contenders for the Cinderella Title in Richmond, Temple, Xavier. Each of these teams has faced some serious competition this year and each has answered the call. Along with the three beating up on each other in league play the three have combined for three wins against Top 25 teams in non-conference play. Xavier has come out as the favorite for my team out of the Atlantic 10. This is because they have played closely in all four of their games versus Top 25 teams and have split them 2-2. The team has its leadership in Senior Jason Love who averages 8.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. Plus, whenever this team needs to get the scoring going they can call on the sophomore sensation that will excite people this tournament with his 19.9 points per game.

The funny thing is the team that will be overlooked was the one favored at the beginning of the year with the Butler Bulldogs. They are 1-3 versus Top 25 teams which looks very poor. If looked at deeper though one notices they haven't lost by more than 10 this entire year which means they are a team that can stick with the big boys. This is so important in the tournament when even the best crumble down the stretch. Gordon Hayward is also a potential first round in the NBA Draft if he decides to go that route. Hayward is a player to watch in this tournament and hopefully another couple of years as he is averaging 15.8 points. This team also spreads the scoring which makes them even tougher to shut down with four players that average more than 10 points per game.

The final teams to examine are out of the Mountain West Conference in BYU and New Mexico. The two teams have been beating up on each other in league play and now they hope to beat up on opponents in the NCAA Tournament. New Mexico is clearly the superior of the two as they are 5-0 versus Top 25 teams. This is an impressive number for any team, but from one that isn't in a major conference it makes a call for them to be considered a real contender for a deep run. The team is athletic, long and they are smart with taking care of the ball and playing solid defense. They like Butler possess four scorers that average more than 10 points per game. This team is very veteran with two juniors and one senior leading the team. These guys can light up the scoreboard like most teams in the tournament. The surprise will be that they can also shut down teams with their defense. Hopefully, New Mexico can offer the story along with the teams mentioned above. Have fun watching the excitement of the NCAA Tournament.