2023 NCAA Tournament: Sleepers to Monitor (March Madness)
You will want to stand out if you’re in a large March Madness pool.
Most people in your pool will be picking the favorites. The people unfamiliar with college basketball will go with the chalk and select mostly No.1 and No. 2 seeds to advance to the Final Four and beyond. But you’re not just a casual fan. You’re here researching for good upsets picks that can stun your entire pool and help you win your March Madness pool.
After reviewing the bracket, here are sleepers to monitor for this year’s March Madness Tournament.
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March Madness Sleepers
Creighton Bluejays (South - 6 Seed)
The Creighton Bluejays were highly regarded before the season began. They started the season with wins over Texas Tech and Arkansas. Everything looked good at that point. Until Creighton dropped their next six games to Arizona, Texas, Nebraska, BYU, Arizona State and Marquette.
That was a brutal stretch, but it helped prepare them for the Big East. Creighton went 14-6 in Big East play. They earned wins over UConn and Xavier throughout the regular season.
The Bluejays have a couple of upperclassmen with a solid mixture of younger players. The offense has nailed 36% from deep and 54.5% from inside the arc. But what I love even more is Creighton’s shooting from the foul line. The Bluejays have knocked in 76.7% of shots from the foul line this year. In tournament time, that’s crucial.
Creighton won’t dominate the offensive glass. But thankfully, they should be able to shoot at a high rate throughout the Tournament. On the defensive end, the Bluejays have limited teams to 23.3% of offensive rebounds, and they foul at one of the lowest rates in college basketball.
Creighton is a serious contender to win the South Region.
Memphis Tigers (East - 8 Seed)
The Memphis Tigers have now stuck around with the Houston Cougars in two games in March. Memphis lost one heartbreakingly but won one when it mattered the most, taking home the AAC Championship over Houston. Houston didn’t have Marcus Sasser available, but it was still an impressive win from the Tigers.
Memphis earns nearly 21% of turnovers on the defensive end. If the Tigers have to play Purdue, they’ll earn plenty of turnovers against a Boilermakers team that doesn’t know how to hold onto the ball when it’s being pressured.
Memphis struggles on the defensive glass. But that’s the only area where they’ve played poorly throughout the season. If Memphis can stick with Houston, they can stick with anyone in the country.
Saint Mary’s Gaels (East - 5 Seed)
I feel bad for the Saint Mary’s Gaels. The Gaels are in a bracket with Kansas, UCLA, Gonzaga and UConn. This is easily the most challenging portion of the bracket.
I love Saint Mary’s and wanted to pick them to go far. Now I can’t. But I need to throw this out there. Saint Mary’s shouldn’t be forgotten. This team can cause a lot of chaos in the West Region. The offense shot nearly 37% this year, and the defense allowed just 21.8% of offensive rebounds.
I’ve got UConn edging out St. Mary’s, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that Round of 32 game goes a different way, either.
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