Three Dark Horse NCAAM Championship Contenders

bleacherreport.com

It’s that time of year again! March Madness is here in full swing, and the NCAA tournament is set to begin with the First Four’s games starting Wednesday.

We all know about the title aspirations of top teams like Michigan State and Kansas, but what about the lower seeds that can make a run this year? Here’s a look at the top three dark horse contenders for the 2016 NCAAM Championship.

Note: Only teams that were a six-seed and below were considered to be “Dark Horse” Contenders.

1. Seton Hall (6th Seed in Midwest)

The Pirates finished out the season with a bang, as they went on the road to defeat both Xavier and Villanova en route to a Big East Championship. This Seton Hall team enters every game with a blue collar, grit-and-grind approach that has lead them to a remarkable season.

To be a true contender, a team must have a leader both on the court and in the locker room. Seton Hall has that leader in Isaiah Whitehead, a player who can put the rest of his team on his back and carry them throughout the tournament. If Whitehead is able to play at the high level we have seen him play at recently, Seton Hall can be an extremely dangerous team.

2. Texas Tech (8th Seed in Midwest)

Staying in the Midwest region, the Texas Tech Red Raiders can be an extremely dangerous team throughout the tournament. Coached by Tubby Smith, Texas Tech has proven to be capable of taking down top teams, as they defeated Iowa State, Baylor, and Oklahoma in three consecutive games at one point in the season.

If Texas Tech can get past a scrappy Butler team and what would likely be top seeded Virginia in the second round, they can go on a deep run in the tournament.

3. Texas (6th Seed in West)

While Texas arguably has the toughest path to the championship of any dark horse contender, they have a squad that can make it past teams like Oklahoma, Baylor, and Oregon among others in the West Bracket. Coached by Shaka Smart and led by the excellent play of guard Isaiah Taylor, Texas has a solid resume with wins against West Virginia, Baylor, and Oklahoma this season.

My one concern with Texas is their ability to play against solid teams in back to back games. After beating Oklahoma by 13 points on February 27, they were blown out by 30 points by Kansas the next game.

If Texas is able to get ahead early in their games and let Isaiah Taylor play his game without forcing anything, they can be serious title contenders.