NCAA Tournament 2023: Top 10 most likely 1st round upsets to happen

9. 12 Oral Roberts over 5 Duke

This is not a ranking of the most capable mid-major programs, because Oral Roberts would certainly near or top the list. The Golden Eagles were a Sweet Sixteen team as a 15-seed just two seasons ago and a number of pieces are back from that team, as is head coach Paul Mills. They have the experience and they have Max Abmas, one of the best pure scorers in the entire country, who averaged 22.2 points per game this season.

In the non-conference, Oral Roberts picked up wins over Liberty and Missouri State but was going to have a hard time defending their resume if they didn’t win their conference tournament. Luckily, they completed a clean sweep through the Summit League, completing an 18-0 regular season and a conference tournament championship, capped off with a 34-point title game win over North Dakota State. They’ve won 17 straight games and their only losses the entire season came on the road against top-level competition, with tough early losses to Houston and Saint Mary’s among the bunch.

Abmas has the skill and talent to single-handedly take Oral Roberts to another postseason victory, but he’s far from the only force here. 7’4 Connor Vanover has fit in beautifully with the Golden Eagles as a shot maker and shot blocker while former Vanderbilt guard Issac McBride can light it up from beyond the arc. The issue facing Oral Roberts is that they drew a horrible first-round matchup against a Duke team that’s been red hot in recent weeks, winning the ACC Tournament title on Saturday night and boasting elite young talent.