Six Cinderellas poised to bust your bracket

Loyola Chicago

Coach Porter Moser doesn’t have as gifted of an offensive team as he did with his 2018 Final Four squad, but this team is exceptionally disciplined on the defensive end, leading the nation with 55.7 points allowed. The Ramblers ( 24- 4) also lead KenPom in defensive efficiency ratings. Big man Cameron Krutwig ( 15.0 points per game, 6.7 rebounds) is the main holdover from that Final Four team.

Winthrop

The 23- 1 Eagles’ lone loss was a two- point decision to UNC Asheville in late January. Do- everything guard Chandler Vaudrin ( 12.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 1.3 steals) leads this team. The 6- foot- 7 senior has triple- double potential and has what it takes to become a March star. Coach Pat Kelsey has a well- rounded roster that does a lot of little things well, including on the glass.

Liberty

The Flames ( 23- 5) have several key ingredients to become a March darling, starting with their prowess from beyond the arc – they rank in the top 10 in 3point field goals made per game and percentage. The secret weapon might be coach Ritchie McKay’s defense that has Liberty third in the nation in points allowed. Darius McGhee ( 15.6 ppg) is the go- to guy.

Colgate

The Raiders ( 14- 1) had a top- 10 NET score due to a bizarre regular- season schedule that saw them play three teams four times. Then they proved how good they actually are in the Patriot League tournament; they crushed Bucknell 105- 75 in a semifinal game and claimed the conference’s automatic bid by handling Loyola Maryland 85- 72. Coach Matt Langel has a team that ranks second nationally with 86.4 points per game ( trailing only Gonzaga). That’s all fueled by crafty point guard Jordan Burns ( 17.1 ppg, 5.4 apg).

UNC Greensboro

Coach Wes Miller’s program was one of the biggest snubs of the 2019 NCAA Tournament. Senior guard Isaiah Miller is the player that makes UNCG ( 21- 8) tick, averaging 19.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 4.0 assists. The Spartans don’t exactly light it up from beyond the arc but they get to the paint easily to generate offense.

Morehead State

Johni Broome, a 6- foot- 10 acrobatic freshman, scored 27 in the Ohio Valley Tournament title game, and when he’s on the Eagles ( 23- 7) can be special. The athletic forward could be a matchup nightmare against Power Five conference opponents. Morehead State ranks in the top 15 nationally in blocked shots per game and top 30 in rebounding margin.