March Madness 2019: Top dark horse candidates from each region

By Brian Rauf | Mar 18, 2019

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 16: Ehab Amin #4 of the Oregon Ducks starts a fast break ahead of teammates Payton Pritchard #3 and Louis King #2 against the Washington Huskies during the championship game of the Pac-12 basketball tournament at T-Mobile Arena on March 16, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Ducks defeated the Huskies 68-48. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

1 of 5

MURRAY, KY – FEBRUARY 09: Ja Morant #12 of the Murray State Racers reacts in the second half of the game against the SIU-Edwardsville Cougars at CFSB Center on February 9, 2019 in Murray, Kentucky. Murray State won 86-55. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Who will be this season’s March Madness Cinderella? Breaking down the most likely candidate from each NCAA Tournament region.

One of the many reasons why we love March Madness is that the little guy always gets a shot.

We’ve seen many teams take advantage of that opportunity and rip off long runs, often becoming the story of that season’s NCAA Tournament.

Loyola-Chicago wore Cinderella’s glass slipper last year, earning a No. 12 seed and riding that all the way to the Final Four. George Mason did the same thing in 2006 and, in 2011, VCU went from the First Four to the Final Four.

Of course, not every Cinderella has to make the Final Four to be remembered.

Florida Gulf Coast became the first No. 15 seed to reach the Sweet 16 and Davidson became a household name thanks to their Elite Eight run with Stephen Curry. There’s also UMBC, who became a Cinderella with a single win over Virginia.

This year will be no different. Well, slightly different, because we’re probably not going to see a No. 16 seed win again. But some team (or teams) will inevitably come out of nowhere to pull off an upset or two and ruin a number of brackets in the process.

Who might that team be? Here are the most likely Cinderella candidates for each region.

Home/March Madness