March Madness: Struggling teams that will still do well in the 2018 NCAA Tournament

Momentum is such an important factor for teams as they enter March Madness, but it isn’t everything. These teams lack momentum coming into the  NCAA tournament but are still safe to pick.

Selection Sunday is just about here, and there is no better time of year to be a college basketball fan. It is a time when fans contemplate who to pick when they fill out their brackets, and who to be sure to avoid.

There are always sleepers, mid-major surprises, and bubble teams that sneak in and go from the First Four to possibly the Final Four. Then there are always the heavy favorites that, for whatever reason, aren’t ready to play and make an unexpected early exit during the first weekend of the tournament.

Often times, the teams that surprise come into the tournament on a roll. They build momentum in either their conference tournament or the final part of the regular season and keep on rolling right across the bracket. Recent examples are the Final Four appearances from VCU and Butler, or Davidson’s and Dayton’s Elite Eight runs. Likewise, there are often warning signs for teams who lose early towards the end of their regular season and in their conference tournament.

But sometimes there are exceptions, even though these often fly under the radar. Still, it is critical for those looking for the right sleeper when filling out their bracket to keep in mind that a team with a lot of momentum can exit the tournament, and a team with just about no momentum can suddenly click in the tournament and make a splash.

The latter is what this article focuses on. These three tournament teams have been struggling as of late, and seem to be hobbling into the NCAA tournament. But due to varying reasons, they are still safe selections for at least the early rounds.