Every time March Madness rolls around, a Cinderella or two gets in the way and ruins the ‘perfect’ bracket. But for those chosen teams, continuing to play in the big dance is all that matters. Here’s who to watch out for in the 2026 NCAA Tournament!
1. Akron Zips
The Zips won the MAC Tournament, making it a two-bid league with Miami (OH) playing in the First Four in Dayton. And while Akron may not have been able to beat the RedHawks in their lone meeting in the regular season, the Zips should be feared heading into March Madness.
They have the perfect opening draw – a Texas Tech team without its star forward JT Toppin. But Akron is also led by a proven coach in John Groce and an electrifying point guard in Tavari Johnson. And with Toppin out, forward Amani Lyles now becomes a legitimate candidate to help turn this upset bid in favor of the Zips. I’m not sure how far they can take it, but it’s as exciting a first round game as any out there.
2. Hofstra Pride
Sitting in the same pod as Akron is 13-seed Hofstra, led by former NBA player Speedy Claxton, and another great guard in Cruz Davis. When you think about March Madness legends, you think of guards who can score and will take and make the big shot. That perfectly describes Davis, who is waiting to be the next March Madness hero.
Diving deeper inside the numbers, not only can Hofstra fill it up, but they can also defend, rebound, and limit turnovers. They’re a highly efficient team overall, which is what is needed against Alabama. And if they can shut down the Crimson Tide, I’d like their chances against that same Akron team or Texas Tech.
Plus, looking at Hofstra’s non-conference, they beat Syracuse and Pitt and lost by four to UCF, so they’re not really afraid of anyone.
3. South Florida Bulls
Coming in as an 11 seed, South Florida is coached by Bryan Hodgson, and it’s sounding like he’ll go to either Syracuse or Providence once USF is eliminated.
But that might take a while, because who knows when they’ll go home.
USF has one of the nation’s best rebounders in Izaiyah Nelson, who is bound to make any opposing team work for every last board when he’s in the game. They’ve also got a quartet of guards that average 10+ points per game, including CJ Brown, who does a little of everything.
A first round matchup against a Louisville team that could be without star guard Mikel Brown Jr. is intriguing, and past that, a win over Michigan State shouldn’t be ruled out. I don’t think anyone wants to play the Bulls right now.
4. SMU Mustangs
SMU will take on Miami (OH) in Dayton which is quite a shame because the RedHawks will certainly be America’s team as long as they’re alive. But if they weren’t, SMU would have a strong case. Boopie Miller not only has a fun name to say, but he’s just about the most fun guard to watch in the country. Paired with Jaron Pierre, it’s one of the best guard duos in the country.
Defense has been a struggle, and BJ Edwards was someone who could create a lot of turnovers, but he hasn’t played since Feb. 25. SMU could really use him to go on a March Madness run, as well as Corey Washington. If there are injuries, don’t even test your luck, but a healthy SMU team is one to fear.
5. High Point Panthers
I’m not in love with High Point’s opening round game against a Wisconsin team that can’t seem to do any wrong, but the Panthers do average 90 points per game and lead the nation with 10.9 steals per game. If they can get up on the Badgers early, anything can happen from there, and the same goes for pretty much any team in High Point’s way. They’ve also won 14 in a row, so they’re truly one of the hottest teams in March Madness.
6. Miami (OH) RedHawks
Sure, we don’t really know how legitimate Miami’s 31-1 record is, but we still know they only lost once and can light up the scoreboard. They can also let whoever they play light up the scoreboard, but who said mid-majors can’t win shootouts? All I’m saying is, Travis Steele might be the most confident head coach in March Madness, and Miami is out to prove everyone wrong.
7. UCLA Bruins
A 7 seed blue blood may not seem like a Cinderella, but have we thought about the possibility of Donovan Dent taking the Bruins on a wild run to the Final Four? He’s on the shortlist of players in this March Madness who could go on a run like that, and it would be weirdly poetic if they did that in a season where Mick Cronin is acting like the world is ending every time UCLA steps foot on the floor.
8. Cal Baptist Lancers
As a 13 seed going against Kansas, this would be a dream come true for Cal Baptist, but after watching Dominique Daniels Jr. put the team on his back in the WAC Championship, KU better be prepared to defend him.
However, the Lancers barely average 10 assists per game and aren’t the best shooting team, so they’d need the perfect gameplan to stun the Jayhawks. I wouldn’t advise picking this team to upset anyone, but the Dominique Daniels show should be a fun one to watch.
9. Northern Iowa Panthers
I’m picking St. John’s to go pretty far, so I hope it doesn’t come true, but UNI is a team to watch out for. They lead the country in fewest PPG allowed at 61.3, so that right there could frustrate the best teams, especially a Red Storm team that is prone to going hot and cold from outside. Offense isn’t UNI’s strong suit, but they do hit form outside at a fairly high clip, so if they get hot, don’t say I didn’t tell you.
10. Tennessee State Tigers
You want your crazy upset pick? Here you go.
15 seed Tennessee State has two players who score north of 17 PPG. They’ve also got journeyman Dante Harris, who started his career at Georgetown, and won’t back down from any Power 5 competition. Plus, TSU is coached by former Duke point guard Nolan Smith, who knows a thing or two about March Madness. If they can force Iowa State into an uncomfortable game, here’s your upset of all upsets in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
Honorable Mention: Penn
Do I think Penn is going to get blasted by Illinois? Absolutely. But the rule of thumb is to never count out any Ivy League team, and after seeing TJ Power drop a 40 burger on Yale, a 14-seed Penn seems like a dangerous team to play.
With that being said, Illinois is one of the top-scoring teams in the country, features a lottery pick in Keaton Wagler, and a pair of 7-footers in the Ivisic brothers, so the matchup doesn’t really bode well for the Quakers.