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NCAA Basketball: 5 potential Cinderella teams for 2024 NCAA Tournament

By Cole Amundson

Dec 29, 2023; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; McNeese State Cowboys head coach Will Wade coaches during
Dec 29, 2023; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; McNeese State Cowboys head coach Will Wade coaches during / Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
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3. Indiana State Sycamores

Third-year head coach Josh Schertz -- who previously ran a Division II powerhouse at Lincoln Memorial from 2008 to 2021 -- is making his mark in Terre Haute as his Sycamores stand at 15-3 overall on the season.

When talking about unique styles of play, Indiana State easily takes the cake with its offensive ability. Just take a look at their spacing here that caught the eye of Kevin Sweeney of Sports Illustrated:

Just look at that. Not a single defender was inside the lane, creating a wide-open layup simply because of their spacing.

Indiana State -- who leads the MVC and the country (by a wide margin) in effective field goal percentage at 61.4% -- has been lethal on the offensive side of the floor. According to BartTorvik, Indiana State is third in the country in three-point shooting percentage (41.4%) and fourth in the country in two-point shooting percentage (60.7%). 

In other words, it may be near-impossible to guard this team effectively for a full 40 minutes.

Led by a pair of transfers in Southern Indiana transfer Isaiah Swope (18.4 PPG), South Florida transfer Ryan Conwell (15.8 PPG) and stretch-five big man Robbie Avila (15.3 PPG, 7.1 RPG), Indiana State’s offense remains one of the best, if not THE best, in college basketball.

Thankfully for Indiana State, the metrics remain on their side which doesn’t eliminate their chances for an at-large bid come March. Although it doesn’t seem likely at the moment, any team that possibly draws Indiana State in the 2024 NCAA Tournament would be in for an extremely burdensome 40 minutes.

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