Every year, some teams are the kings and queens of the hill. The Kansas's, Duke's, Purdue's, UConn, the list can go on. For every King of the Hill, there is one equally competent Cinderella who can make a run in the dance. One game at a time is all it takes to become top of the hill. In 2024, we had the NC State Wolfpack and their run to the final four. We also had Yale, Oakland, GCU, Duquesne, and James Madison all getting upset wins in the dance.
Once you get to March, absolutely no team is safe. All it takes is one hot team or a cold shooting king of the hill and it is all over. The #ThankYouCBB trend started this year when a user Cole Adams started the hashtag asking fans to watch CBB in March and equally support the schools, teams, and sport in November and December. In this article, we are going to break down a few teams that I think, can make a Cinderella-type run in this year's March Madness.
Omaha (Summit League)
This Omaha squad just lost their first game in Summit League play on Thursday to Saint Thomas. While the Mavericks are still looking to make their first-ever breakthrough in the dance. They are current Co-Leaders at 7-1 in the Summit League with Saint Thomas, but to the Mavericks' benefit, Saint Thomas is still in their transition period in the NCAA meaning that they can't go dancing. Coming off a nine-game win streak, the Omaha Mavericks are led by Senior Marquel Sutton. Sutton averages 17.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists this season. If Omaha makes the dance, watch out for the name Marquell Sutton to make waves in the news!
Utah Valley (WAC)
As much as this hurts me to write as a Western Athletic Conference frequenter, the Utah Valley Wolverines are freaking legit. They have never put on their dancing shoes, and this will be their 20th season as a transitional D1 member and 15th year as a full member. Led by Dominic Nelson, the Utah Valley Wolverines sit alone at the top of the Western Athletic Conference. Nelson has looked like an All-American level talent averaging 15.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. The Wolverines have a tough path ahead facing GCU tonight (2/1/2025) but if the Wolverines can win this game, they will be 9-0 in WAC play with a two-game lead over the 2nd-place Lopes. Do not sleep on the Wolverines this March.
Maine (American East)
While historically, this conference has been run by the Vermont Catamounts, there is always an opportunity for upset. As we make the turn to the halfway point in the season, the Maine Black Bears currently sit at 2nd in the conference standings behind only the Bryant Bulldogs at 6-1 in conference play. The Maine Black Bears have three scorers that they rely on heavily but none more than AJ Lopez. Averaging 15.3 points per game this season, Lopez has been making the American East teams regret not taking him. Lopez has scored 18 or more in four of the last five AE games this season. Maine lost to Bryant already this season by 28 points as their only loss in the AE. If the Maine Black Bears can revenge their loss to Bryant in the American East tournament, watch out!
Arkansas State (Sun Belt)
Arkansas State came into the season as an unknown. It wasn't clear if the Red Wolves had what it takes to compete or not due to transfers out of the program. Taryn Todd was one of the few who didn't transfer from their roster last season. Averaging 16.3 points, 5.0 assists, and 3.3 assists for the Red Wolves has been instrumental in their 17-5 record this season. Sitting at 8-2 in the Sun Belt with a one-game lead over Troy, the Red Wolves have already beaten Troy earlier in the season. February 15th is a big day for the Red Wolves. If they can beat Troy at home, it will likely be wrapped in on the Sun Belt Title.
Saint Louis: The Ultimate Cinderella (Atlantic 10)
The Billikens currently sit tied for 2nd place with VCU and one game behind George Mason for a shot at the Atlantic 10 title. After last season's snub at Indiana St, both Robbie Avila and Coach Schertz are looking to make a splash in their first season in the A10. While Robbie Avila has proven to be one of the most impactful transfers in the offseason, Gibson Jimmerson is a name that many people seem to forget. Jimerson is in his 6th season with Saint Louis and is averaging 17.8 points per game. Between Jimmerson and Avila, they average 48% of the Billiken's points this season. If both of them can stay healthy, they can certainly make a run at the Atlantic 10. If they win the A10, be ready to hear a lot about the Jimmerson/Avila duo!
Unfortunately for most of these teams, the Cinderella run ends in their round of 64 games as they end up facing a No. 2 or 3 seed and losing by 25. All of these teams are teams that should be respected in that 14 or 15 seed and not slept on.
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