Bracketology: 10 teams with Cinderella potential in the 2019 NCAA Tournament
Murray State Racers
Current Bracketology Status: No. 12 seed (automatic bid)
Everyone wants to see Ja Morant in the NCAA Tournament. I think we can all agree on that. One of the most exciting players (and draft prospects) and in the entire country, Morant is a sensational mid-major talent with the big-game mentality that could drive the Racers into Cinderella contention. After defeating Belmont in the OVC final already, the Racers have locked up an automatic bid and potential No. 5-6 seeds have to be shaking in their boots. Morant is clearly an electric talent that can light up any team that he faces.
And while Morant is the most dangerous mid-major player in the country, this team has Cinderella qualities because his supporting cast is strong as well. Most notably, freshman wing Tevin Brown complements his star tremendously well. At 6-foot-5, Brown brings plenty of size to the perimeter and can light it up from beyond the arc. As a team, the Racers do not hit threes at a high rate but Brown is someone that should never be left open.
Belmont Bruins
Current Bracketology Status: No. 12 seed.
Sticking with the Ohio Valley, Belmont is a team that nobody should be sleeping on. And while I understand that they might not even make the NCAA Tournament, they can be extremely dangerous if awarded an at-large bid. With superstar forward Dylan Windler leading the way, the Bruins also have an NBA-level talent on their roster who can really fill up the stat sheet. For the season, Windler has averaged 21.4 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. And when you add in the high-scoring abilities of Kevin McClain and Nick Muszynski as well, it is easy to see why this team can be dangerous.
With that said, though, the Bruins might need some help to make the NCAA Tournament. Their conference tournament is already over and therefore the team can only sit back and wait for the next week. They will need other bubble teams to drop some games in order to feel comfortable in the field. If they do make the dance, though, nobody will want to see the team that won 14 straight games before falling to Murray State in the OVC final.