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NCAA Basketball: 5 early potential Cinderellas for 2021 NCAA Tournament

By Trevor Sinodhinos

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 8: Led by committee chairman Mark Hollis (3rd from L), the NCAA Basketball Tournament Selection Committee meets on Wednesday afternoon, March 8, 2017 in New York City. The committee is gathered in New York to begin the five-day process of selecting and seeding the field of 68 teams for the NCAA MenÕs Basketball Tournament. The final bracket will be released on Sunday evening following the completion of conference tournaments. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 8: Led by committee chairman Mark Hollis (3rd from L), the NCAA Basketball Tournament Selection Committee meets on Wednesday afternoon, March 8, 2017 in New York City. The committee is gathered in New York to begin the five-day process of selecting and seeding the field of 68 teams for the NCAA MenÕs Basketball Tournament. The final bracket will be released on Sunday evening following the completion of conference tournaments. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) /
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ATLANTA, GA – MARCH 24: Donte Ingram #0 of the Loyola Ramblers celebrates (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

If everything goes well, there should be “March Madness” in 2021. Which NCAA Basketball mid-major programs could be possible “Cinderella” contenders?

The term ‘Cinderella’ being used as a metaphor to describe a sports team that has outperformed expectations has become the norm when it comes to NCAA Basketball. It becomes particularly relevant since the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament is often referred to as the ‘big dance’. Thus, the connection between Cinderella who was not expected to attend the Royal Ball due to the obstacles put in front of her by her rivals seems obvious, despite being drastically flawed.

If anybody would have done any scouting on the unmarried women in the kingdom or actually asked the Handsome Prince what were the characteristics he admired in a bride, Cinderella would have made the Kingdom’s top 25 most likely to win the Prince’s heart poll. This in turn would have prevented Cinderella from being the type of story that bares her very own name.

In order for the Cinderella story to play out, she needed a miracle by a Fairy Godmother to make it to the ball, making it to the ‘big dance’ is rarely a miracle for the small programs, whereas winning the championship would be. Aside from the 1985 Villanova team, who is thought of as the first Cinderella story in the 64 team bracket era when they won the national title as an 8 seed. No other Cinderella team has won the championship in the same fashion Cinderella won the Prince’s heart.

After that lesson in literature history, these teams will not need a miracle to make it to the ‘big dance’ as many are the favorites to win their conference prior to even entering the conference tournament where they will be the favorite to win the automatic bid. These teams will not win the National Championship and complete the Cinderella story either.

These teams, however, are the ones that are going to ruin your bracket on Thursday or Friday as you call in to work sick. Making early predictions this year is a little bit easier, for a few of these teams would have picked up some wins this past March and would be on everybody’s radar already.

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