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) /

2 of 5

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 15: The Belmont Bruins celebrate their 74-72 win over the UCLA Bruins at Pauley Pavilion on December 15, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images) /

East Region: (11) Belmont Bruins

There’s a reason why so many were clamoring for the Bruins to be included in the NCAA Tournament field despite not winning the Ohio Valley’s automatic bid.

The Bruins are a legitimately good team that rank in the top 20 nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency. They’re excellent at shooting threes but are also deadly inside the arc as their high-level execution allows them to get the shot they want more often than not. And, as you’d expect from an experienced team, they don’t turn the ball over a lot.

Belmont’s success on that end has paved the way for a number of quality wins over Lipscomb (twice), Murray State, and UCLA. They also have a player who will likely be selected in the 2019 NBA Draft in Dylan Windler, who is a matchup problem on the wing thanks to his size, shooting and craftiness.

Belmont also has a visible path to pull some likely upsets. If they can get by an inconsistent Temple team in the First Four, they’ll face a flawed Maryland team that has lost three of their last four games.

I also expect Belmont to be boosted by the simple fact they got in the tournament. One of the Cinderella’s we mentioned previously, VCU, received an unexpected at-large bid and used that new life as motivation to play their best basketball of the season. I see the Bruins doing the same with their at-large bid.

Moving past Maryland and into the Sweet 16 might be tough but Belmont has a great chance to win a couple of games in this region.

Home/March Madness