4 Underdog Teams to Watch in NCAA Tournament

0:00On March 19th, the men's NCAA tournament kicks off with plenty of bracket buzz and experts are eyeing four underdog teams that could surprise. Everyone, in the first week, St. John's earned a 5-seed in the East after a strong 19-win 1-loss finish to their season. UCLA sits as a 7-seed in the same region following a rollercoaster year. Over in the South, VCU grabbed an 11-seed on a hot 16-win 1-loss streak, and in the midwest, 13-seed Hofstra brings serious 3-point firepower. The name, image, and likeness era has made up sets tougher lately, with all four number 1-seeds reaching last year's final four and few double digit. Seeds advancing far. Still, these teams have the tools to buck the trend. St. John's both a top defense, rim protection, and offensive rebounding, plus stars like Zubi Egeo 4 under coach Rick Patino. They face Northern Iowa first, then possibly inconsistent Kansas. UCLA's season swung wildly, dropping out of rankings early, burrowing with key wins,

1:04including comebacks against tough Big Ten foes. Their experience ranks 14th nationally, with low turnovers and sharp shooting from three and the line. Health looks good for their top players heading into a matchup with UCF, and they could challenge Yukon next. VCU, tournament veterans, shoot well from deep and meet North Carolina, who's missing a key forward and weak on perimeter defense. Hofstra stands out as the longest shot, hitting 36.8% of threes with three deadly shooters in the lineup. Alabama is an elite on outside defense, so an upset isn't crazy, even as double-digit dogs. Nearby, 12-seed Akron could add chaos against injured Texas Tech. These picks offer smart ways to spice up your bracket, without going too wild, setting up potential early thrills as the madness unfolds.