NCAA Tournament 2023: 3 mid-major Cinderella candidates to watch

Kent State – 13 seed

The Mid-American Conference champion has won a game in three of the last four NCAA Tournaments, and Kent State has a legitimate chance to continue that run.

The Golden Flashes are one of the best defensive teams in the nation, ranking No. 20 in opponent turnover percentage and No. 30 in opponent 3-point percentage on KenPom.

In non-conference play, Kent State played both Houston and Gonzaga to single digits, proving they can hang with the big boys.

Rob Senderoff’s group will play 4-seed Indiana on Friday, March 17, at 9:55 p.m. in Albany, New York.

Indiana is led by Trayce Jackson-Davis, who is going to put up nearly 20 points and 10 rebounds every time he steps on the court. While TJD might be nearly unstoppable, the Hoosiers are beatable. The key is to slow down Jalen Hood-Schifino. Since his return from injury in early December, Indiana is 5-6 vs. teams ranked in the top 50 on KenPom when Hood-Schifino scores fewer than 15 points.

In the second round, Kent State would get either 5-seed Miami or 12-seed Drake. Norchad Omier – Miami’s starting center and arguably their most important player – is still dealing with an injury. His status for the Canes’ first and potentially second-round games is unknown. If Omier is a no-go, Miami’s already suspect defense will be left without its most versatile defender and only rim protector.