March Madness: Cinderellas, Dark Horses, & Favorites

We have our bracket… oh, how perfect it looks and feels this early Monday morning as we stare intently, not getting a lick of work done. Soon, though, reality sets in that we now have to fill this dang thing out! And there’s no way we are finishing last in the office pool again… we can’t sit back again as Cheryl from HR wins the pot by picking her favorite states! This is the year we do the research and by research I mean check out the teams Coach Day has as the Cinderellas, Dark Horses, and Favorites!

While Twitter and all other social medias will tell you that NIL has killed the Cinderella, I am here to say: take that warning seriously, but still believe in the madness. Though I feel the second round may be the round of madness, we still need to be aware of the Cinderella.

The Cinderellas

With these five, we have a combination of hot teams, good matchups, and star power. Akron, I feel like, has the combo of all three. They run into the tourney hot against a banged‑up Texas Tech and have a guard in Tavari Johnson who can take over a game. For Troy and South Florida, I really like their matchups, for instance, a lot of pressure is on Nebraska to make good on a season that started 20–0.

The final two spots are much more of a stretch for sure, but I’ve seen Santa Clara three times against Gonzaga hang tough… yes, the same Zags that went belt to ass on Kentucky. Lastly, High Point feels like that team that can blitz a Wisconsin squad that may be riding a bit high after a Big Ten tourney run.

So chalky feels to be the safe bet right? Rack up some wins, the safe play? Well if I didn’t sell you on the Cinderellas what about some powerful dark horses? Still can play it safe but have that late round point stealer to win you that bracket challenge!

The Dark Horses

St. John’s has to headline this list, as they must feel criminally under-seeded on the 5‑line. If the offense can hit some shots paired with that defense… watch out. Another team who won a power conference championship is Arkansas, as they seem to be hitting their stride at the right time behind freshman sensation Darius Acuff. After those two, the probability takes a hit, but the 3‑seeds Virginia and Illinois have offenses that can beat anyone on any night when running at full speed. In the last spot, I have a team in BYU who literally feels like they could lose in the Round of 64, or AJ Dynanksta could take them on his back to the Final Four. The dark horses are dangerous but very unpredictable this year.

Okay I get it maybe you truly are just a favorites guy…or gal. So I got them for ya. You haven’t tuned into one game of basketball but you want to show off your knowledge & be part of the office fun. No worries here are the teams to drop into convo to show you know some ball

The Favorites

Alright, I already hear the collective groan. Yes, the list of favorites is pretty damn chalky. But hey, that’s what makes them favorites, right? Duke has proven to be the team to beat. Is it a field‑vs‑them situation like last year? No, but still, they lead the group of favs. Next, it has to be Arizona, though the shooting and now the health of some top guys still scares me a little. The team they just took down in the Big 12 chip easily drops in as the third favorite. The defense isn’t as sharp, but man, the offense can go. Florida, after one heck of a weird year, now feels primed for a repeat, something they’ve already done this century. Lastly, I have Michigan… the loss in the Big Ten chip will have them refocused and hungry as ever.

While I can’t fill out the bracket for you, now you at least have some teams you can think about a little less. I get it, you just don’t have the time to research as those emails gotta get out. Coach Day to the rescue this March so that last‑place finish is in the past.

Oh, and for the degenerates, don’t worry, the best bets for each and every game are coming your way soon!