MTSU Basketball: 5 reasons Blue Raiders will be the Cinderella of the 2017 NCAA Tournament

By Taylor Sturm | Mar 14, 2017

Mar 11, 2017; Birmingham, AL, USA; Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders react after winning the Conference USA Tournament Championship against Marshall Thundering Herd at Legacy Arena. Blue Raiders defeated the Herd 82-73. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports /

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Mar 11, 2017; Birmingham, AL, USA; Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders bench reacts during the Conference USA Tournament game against Marshall Thundering Herd at Legacy Arena. Blue Raiders defeated the Herd 82-73. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports /

Winnable opening game

The Blue Raiders might have been under-seeded coming into the 2017 NCAA Tournament, but their first-round opponents, the Minnesota Golden Gophers, were over-seeded. One of the most difficult aspects of the NCAA Tournament is that the opponents are usually extremely unfamiliar with each other, and, in this case, that plays into MTSU’s favor.

Minnesota is a good team, but a beatable one – if they underestimate the Blue Raiders, this game could get ugly.

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