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First Round Games With Upset Potential

Photo via Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register

Congrats sports fans we have made it to the NCAA tournament. The greatest tournament in sports is finally here. That means it’s time for dreams to be crushed by teams no one saw coming. To help ease the surprise I picked four first-round games with major upset potential.

No Oral Roberts is not on here. Tik Tok “experts” ruined them. Cats out of the bag on how good they are. Even if they win you already knew that before you got here.

12. Drake over 5. Miami

The Drake Bulldogs were the champions of the Missouri Valley Conference this year. They have been competitive all year and that won’t change in march.

This pick is more of a pick against Miami than for Drake. The ACC was the weakest of the Power 6 this year. I don’t trust any of these teams and Miami is no different.

13. Iona over 4. UCONN

Despite this game only involving one Big East Team it feels like the most Big East game if all time. UCONN had a great season and their reward is playing the MAAC champions Iona, who are coached by none other than Rick Pitino.

Iona feels like a wolf in sheep’s clothing being a 13 seed coached by someone with 2 (Three if your cool) National titles. With many schools potentially poaching Rick Pitino this off-season, he will likely want to make some kind of statement in the first round.

11. Providence over 6. Kentucky

Kentucky a month ago was a shoe in for a 1 seed in the NIT, now they are a in people final fours. It’s Kentucky, so a strong tournament is certainly possible. But we have seen this team play bad basketball this year.

Providence had a bad February/march going 2-4 in their last 6. Counterpoint, a win here would be a storybook/Hollywood script revenge story for Bryce Hopkins

I’m a sucker for story lines. This is no different. With stories like this, you throw out the analytics. Just pick on pure emotion.

13. Kent State over Indiana

Kent State is the friskiest team in College Basketball this year. I’m not sure that statement loses are a good reason to bet on a team to WIN a game, but I don’t have evidence that it doesn’t. Kent State, started their year with loses to Charleston, Houston, and Gonzaga.

They have shown to actually be a great team winning the MAC. I’m not an Indiana believer I haven’t understood the hype all year.

12. Charleston over 5. SDSU

Charleston is very close to being ruined on TikTok like Oral Roberts but lucky for them they don’t play Duke in the first round.

Instead, their playing Mountain West Champs San Diego State. SDSU has made the tournament three years in a row and has no wins. The Mountain West as a conference is 5-22 in the tournament since 2013. I’m not falling in love with this mountain west this year I have learned my lesson. It ends in disappointment.

Charleston has been great all year. Feels obvious but thats for a reason.

PS*** If you parlay all of these to happen its +5542. Be responsible.

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