NCAA Basketball: Ranking all 2021 NCAA Tournament teams

Long Shots/ Possible Cinderellas

35. St. Bonaventure (16-4): The Bonnies have a great 1-2 combo in Kyle Lofton and Osun Osunnyi, and they shoot the ball from long-distance. SBU, which is strong defensively, is only an average defensive rebounding team, and they also struggle to get to the foul line.

34. Ohio: Can the Bobcats, who have five players in double-figures, outscore their opponents as they certainly have trouble getting stops. Ohio, which is 9-1 in its last 10 games, averages over 80 points a game.

33. Oregon State (17-12): The Beavers have won seven of their last nine games, which includes winning the Pac-12 Tournament thanks to strong shooting, particularly from long-distance, and defending the 3-point line well. Ethan Thompson and Jarod Lucas are the catalysts.

32. Syracuse (16-9): The NCAA Tournament is seemingly made for Jim Boeheim as the Orange have reached at least the 3rd round in eight of their last nine trips to the “Big Dance.” SU plays six guys, and while they are strong ball-handlers and a solid offensive rebounding team, depth and shot selection are issues for the Orange. They will need steady and reliable play from point guards Joe Girard and Kadary Richmond if the Orange are going to make another deep run.

31. Michigan State (15-12): The Spartans, who were among the last four teams in the field, have been extremely inconsistent as they struggle on the offensive end –particularly with turnovers. MSU does have victories over Michigan, Illinois, and Ohio State.

30. Virginia Tech (15-6): The 10th-seeded Hokies are an above-average shooting team, and they do a fantastic job limiting turnovers. Tech is strong defensively though they struggle at the free-throw line and have a difficult time forcing turnovers.

29. UC Santa Barbara (22-4): The Gauchos are a veteran-team and an excellent passing team that doesn’t turn the ball over. UCSB shoots the ball decently well, and they are a strong defensive rebounding team though just an average on the offensive glass. Jaquori McLaughlin and Miles Norris are extremely talented.

28. Georgia Tech (17-8): The Yellow Jackets, who are playing their best basketball of the season, are the surprise ACC Tournament champions — their first conference tournament crown since 1993. Moses Wright and Jose Alvarado are the keys to a flawed team. The Jackets are strong inside the arc, and they do a tremendous job at limiting and forcing turnovers.

27. UCLA (17-9): The Bruins, among the last four teams in the tournament, are very talented, but injuries have taken their toll, and they enter the event on a four-game losing streak. Defense, particularly guarding the 3-point line, has been an issue of late.