NCAA Basketball March Madness

15 Under-the-Radar Teams That Could Make the 2015 NCAA Tournament

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By @writered21

15 Teams That Could Crash the Big Dance

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It's never too early to start looking for your March Madness Cinderellas -- those teams that may well end up as the dreaded No. 12 seeds that bust Big Dance brackets in office pools all across the country. There are many teams that have had solid early-season starts and look like they could be NCAA Tournament material beyond the household names. Here are 15 under-the-radar teams that could make the Big Dance.

15. St. Mary's

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15. St. Mary's

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Kyle Terado-USA TODAY Sports

The Gaels are 37th in the nation in scoring (78.4 PPG) and shoot 50 percent from the field, something very few teams in the country can claim. Saint Mary's is 5-0 to start the season, having scored at least 72 points in every game and with four victories by double digits. Brad Waldow is averaging 21.7 PPG.

14. Stephen F. Austin

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14. Stephen F. Austin

SFA
Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

The Lumberjacks are just 4-3 on the season, but they are a team that shouldn't be forgotten about when forecasting possible NCAA Tournament squads. SFA got a nice win for the resume on Tuesday night with a 64-52 triumph at Memphis. SFA also took an undefeated Northern Iowa team to overtime before falling 79-77.

13. Belmont

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13. Belmont

Belmont
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After a loss to Wright State to open the season, the Bruins have ripped off seven straight wins to improve to 7-1, including road victories at Lipscomb, Western Kentucky and Ohio. Belmont still has games with VCU and Butler upcoming to pad a potential tournament resume.

12. Wyoming

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12. Wyoming

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The Cowboys are a threat to be reckoned with in the Mountain West Conference, as shown by their 56-33 demolition of Colorado out of the Pac-12. Wyoming is second in the nation in field-goal percentage at nearly 55 percent, while the Cowboys get it done defensively, giving up just 50 PPG (fifth in the country).

11. Northern Iowa

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11. Northern Iowa

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Wichita State isn't the only undefeated team in the Missouri Valley Conference worth talking about. The Panthers have already dismantled opponents from the ACC (Virginia Tech) and the Big 10 (Northwestern). UNI is 11th in the nation in scoring defense at 53.9 PPG. The Panthers play VCU, Iowa and San Diego State later in December.

10. Valparaiso

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10. Valparaiso

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The Crusaders are off to a solid 7-1 start, best in the Horizon League, with the only loss being to Missouri. Alec Peters leads the way at better than 19 points a game. Valpo will be battling with Green Bay and Wright State for the top spot in the Horizon.

9. Old Dominion

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9. Old Dominion

ODU
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The Monarchs stormed into the conversation for the NCAA Tournament with a 73-67 win over No. 14 VCU, proving that the Commonwealth of Virginia had more to offer in hoops than just UVA and the Rams. ODU also has wins over Richmond and LSU this season.

8. Northwestern

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8. Northwestern

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There's no more under-the-radar team than the Northwestern Wildcats, who in their history have never been to the NCAA Tournament. But the Wildcats are off to a 5-1 start heading into tonight's game vs. Georgia Tech in the ACC-Big 10 Challenge, raising hope that this might finally be the year in Evanston.

7. Eastern Washington

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7. Eastern Washington

EWU
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The Eagles shocked the world with an 88-86 win at Indiana last week on their way to a 6-1 start. Tyler Harvey (21 PPG) leads an offense that is 13th in the nation at 85.3 PPG and shoots better than 54 percent from the field (fourth).

6. Eastern Michigan

EMU
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6. Eastern Michigan

EMU
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The Eagles are the last remaining undefeated team from the MAC, but they will be tested with upcoming games at Dayton, Michigan and Michigan State. The key to EMU's success so far has been rebounding. The Eagles are seventh in the nation in that category, led by Karrington Ward (8 RPG).

5. Seton Hall

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5. Seton Hall

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The Hall is back on the scene nationally with a solid 6-0 start and are one of the last two remaining undefeated teams in the Big East (Villanova). The Pirates possess excellent wins over Illinois State and George Washington already this season. Freshman forward Angel Delgado has been a solid piece for the Pirates, averaging 8.3 PPG and 9.7 RPG.

4. TCU

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4. TCU

TCU
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While the Horned Frogs football team is getting all the national attention, the TCU basketball team is 7-0 and may not be a Big 12 doormat any longer. The Horned Frogs have wins over teams from the SEC (Mississippi State), MVC (Bradley) and Pac-12 (Washington State).

3. Miami

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3. Miami

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While it may be hard for an ACC team or a ranked team to be under the radar, the Miami Hurricanes are both and no one expected their hot start to the season. Miami appears back to the ACC title form of two years ago and have already beaten two ranked teams (Florida and Illinois).

2. La Salle

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2. La Salle

La Salle
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The Explorers are 4-2, but while there are teams in the Atlantic-10 with better records than La Salle, it wouldn't be smart to sleep on the Explorers. Down big to No. 8 Virginia, La Salle made a furious rally to almost steal a signature win. La Salle hosts No. 10 Villanova tonight in a Philadelphia Big 5 battle.

1. Central Florida

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1. Central Florida

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The Knights haven't beaten a ton of quality teams, but they are off to a 5-1 start and have a chance to contend in the American Conference, perhaps just behind the likes of Cincinnati. UCF's non-conference slate isn't that challenging, but they get a chance for a decent win on Saturday at Florida State.

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