Three sleepers within the rankings
Much of the talk surrounding men’s college basketball this season has revolved around the virtually unstoppable Kentucky Wildcats. Kentucky, sitting at 18-0, looks like a strong contender to be the first undefeated champions since Bob Knight and the Indiana Hoosiers of 1975. Other stories have included Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski going for his 1,000th win, something which could be attained Thursday night.
However, there are plenty of teams in the top 25 rankings which could become a major storyline come late February and all of March. So many years, it is not the No. 1 and 2 seeds in the NCAA March Madness tournament that creates the buzz but the lower-seeded squads with a can-do determination. Few people can remember who won the National Championship five years ago, but they all have fond memories of the Butler Bulldogs going to consecutive title games and George Mason making a Cinderella run as a No. 11 seed to the Final Four.
Without digging to a George Mason level, here are three teams currently ranked between No. 11 and No. 25 that could be real juggernauts come March Madness:
3. North Carolina Tar Heels
North Carolina does not normally count as a sleeper, but this year is the exception. The Atlantic Coast Conference is loaded with top teams this year, headlined by Duke, the Virginia Cavaliers and Louisville Cardinals. The Tar Heels are quietly going about their business but winning nonetheless, notching a 14-4 mark. North Carolina has already beaten Louisville and the North Carolina State Wolfpack, along with victories over then-ranked teams in the Ohio State Buckeyes, UCLA Bruins and Florida Gators. The only lopsided loss came at Rupp Arena against Kentucky, losing by 14. With Roy Williams at the helm and an experienced roster led by Marcus Paige, North Carolina is dangerous.
2. VCU Rams
Anytime Shaka Smart is involved, VCU is going to be a threat. The Rams play the most disruptive brands of defense in the country behind Smart’s schemes, leading to a bevy of turnovers and forced shots at the end of shot clocks. VCU has tasted the Final Four before under Smart, and it would not be shocking to see it there again in 2015. The Rams play in the unheralded Atlantic 10 conference, but have a 15-3 record including 5-0 in-conference. VCU does have some warts on its sleeper resume, losing badly to both the Villanova Wildcats and Virginia. Still, those defeats came in November and early December, a long way from March.
1. Maryland Terrapins
Maryland is a very, very good team. The Terrapins are enjoying their Big 10 schedule, rolling to a 5-1 conference record, 17-2 overall. Maryland has quality wins, beating Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans twice while also topping the Oklahoma State Cowboys and No. 9 Iowa State Cyclones. The Terrapins enjoy great balance on the offensive end, paced by Melo Trimble and Jake Layman. Trimble is scoring a team-high 16.1 points per game while Layman is second with 14.7 points and a team-best 6.9 rebounds/game. On Thursday, Maryland gets another stiff test against the No. 23 Indiana Hoosiers.
