Busting Brackets
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NCAA Basketball: The mid-major favorites and darkhorses

By Doug Winkey

Mar 20, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; View of the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders shirts worn during warm-ups prior to the game in the second round against the Syracuse Orange of the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Scottrade Center. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 20, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; View of the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders shirts worn during warm-ups prior to the game in the second round against the Syracuse Orange of the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Scottrade Center. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 23, 2015; Berkeley, CA, USA; Sam Houston State Bearkats forward Aurimas Majauskas (13) is helped up by teammates after drawing a charge against the California Golden Bears during the first half at Haas Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 23, 2015; Berkeley, CA, USA; Sam Houston State Bearkats forward Aurimas Majauskas (13) is helped up by teammates after drawing a charge against the California Golden Bears during the first half at Haas Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

Southland

Favorite: Sam Houston State Bearkats

Stephen F. Austin has the eye of many after losing just one game over the past three seasons, but SMSU has strong chance to take their first trip to the Big Dance since 2010. Six seniors will key the Bearkat attack in 2016.

Versatile forward Aurimas Majauskas and guard Dakarai Henderson are both back after averaging 14.2 points an evening in 2015-16. Majauskas also led the team in rebounding with 5.6 per game.

Junior Jamal Williams will likely act as the floor general with a returning stat line of 9.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.1 steals. Veteran contributors Alber Almanza and Paul Baxter round out who I think are the most important returning guys. Up front has potential holes beyond Majauskas and UTSA transfer Phillip Jones, but this squad is extremely dangerous

Dark Horse: Houston Baptist Huskes

With names like Colter Lasher and Reveal Chukwujekwu, how can you not root for this team? It helps that those sweet names are two of six guys to play in at least 22 games last season. Getting 52 percent of the team’s total scoring back is a big part of why I have HBU challenging the rest of the Southland this season.

Lasher and junior center Josh Ibarra were the leading returning scorers at 10.5 and 10.2 points, respectively, last season. Seven players to see double-digit minutes returned in total for HBU. There really aren’t any glaring holes when I look at this team and that reason alone is why I like them to scare the rest of the Southland.

Next: SWAC

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