10 surprise teams primed to steal the NCAA Tournament

These 10 teams who likely won't end up as a No. 1 or 2 seed in March Madness, could shake up their region and maybe even make a run to a national title if things break right.

By Josh Yourish | Mar 20, 2024, 6:57 PM EDT

Saint Mary's Gaels guard Alex Ducas (44) / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

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486. . 19-13 (10-10). Net: 23 Projected Seed: 10. Michigan State. . . team. . 5

For most of the season, Tom Izzo’s team rode on the fumes of an 88-64 win over then-No. 6 Baylor and a later season victory over No. 10 Illinois. Michigan State is a lock for the NCAA Tournament, but very rarely looked like a Tom Izzo-coached team.

In the second round of the Big Ten Tournament, Michigan State let Minnesota hang around for the first half but pulled away late, finally looking like the team that has been top-20 in Kenpom all season long.

On defense, the Spartans are elite, 11th in adjusted defensive efficiency and allowing just 65.9 points a game. However, scoring has been a laborious task for a team led by Tyson Walker, who has over 2,000 points in his five-year collegiate career. If Walker and A.J. Hoggard can get things rolling in March, then Michigan State can make the Final Four for the ninth time under Tom Izzo.

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