For the older generation: Penn, Villanova, NC State.
For the younger generation: Gonzaga, George Mason, Florida Gulf Coast.
The best part about March Madness, the thing that makes it absolutely mad, are the upsets. The Cinderellas.
They happen nearly every year, some get to dance longer than others, ending up in hoop folklore for generations to come. But the hardest part, the fun part, is trying to select just who those Cinderellas will be.
Here are five teams I feel could very well be dancing well past the stroke of midnight:
Josh Helmuth is the editor of CraveOnline Sports. You can follow him @JHelmuth or "like" CraveOnline Sports on Facebook.
March Madness Cinderellas
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Providence
Providence won the Big East and got an 11 seed. That's insane...Remember when North Carolina (the 6 seed opponent) wasn't even ranked? UNC has the ability to win this game, but even ESPN analyst Jay Bilas stated the Tar Heels have to bring their 'want' to this game in order to win. They are bi-polar. Will they want it?
Although UNC's Marcus Paige is an absolute stud, I feel Friar guard Bryce Cotton will be the best player on the floor (21.7 ppg, 5.9 apg). He will be a game changer. The Friars have won six of their last seven and I think they'll make it seven of eight. They get a bad draw against an incredibly hot Iowa State team in the second round, however.
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New Mexico
UNM is one of my favorite picks this year. Two seniors and three juniors form a veteran and well balanced starting lineup. The Lobos ran through the Mountain West tournament, defeating a great SDSU team, and should run through Stanford in the second round. However, the third round matchup against Kansas is when it will get tough. Kansas is as legit as ever, however with Joel Embiid out, all it takes is one off-night from Andrew Wiggins for a team like UNM to stun the basketball world. It's been done before, just ask KU about 2010 Northern Iowa.
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Oklahoma State
One name -- Marcus Smart.
Smart (17.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 4.7 apg, 2.7 spg) is arguably the best player in the country when he's not getting suspended -- which is the only reason OSU's season dipped into a deserving 9 seed. This team started out 16-3 before losing seven in a row, so they're not hot, and of course, I realize they're a nine seed here -- nothing special -- but they matchup well against second round opponent Gonzaga and could give Arizona problems -- a solid team that is still without star Brandon Ashley.
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Stephen F. Austin
It's hard to pick against a team that's won nearly 30 games in a row. That's right, the Lumberjacks finished the season 31-2 and haven't lost a game since November. They are a very balanced team who has four players averaging double-figures and they are great at moving the ball. They were 8th in the NCAA in assists (16.6 apg) and 5th in turnover margin (+5.2), meaning they're agile on defense as well.
Their first opponent, VCU, is a great team, but this matchup already made me nervous before the announcement Melvin Johnson won't play due to an injury. At 10.6 points per game while draining nearly 40 percent from three, Johnson was VCU's best perimeter player.
Don't be afraid to take SFA in the first round. Don't forget, they are a 12 seed after all (the most common seed to create upsets)... They'll most likely lose to a very hot UCLA team in the round of 32, but it wouldn't shock me to see them in the Sweet 16 either.
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North Dakota State
Come on board the Bison bandwagon! There's still room!
NoDak State ranks first in the nation in field goal percentage -- so ya, they can play, especially Taylor Braun (18 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 4 apg). Braun might be the annual future NBA prospect no one has heard of, and that should scare second round foe Oklahoma silly. Remember Davidson's Steph Curry?
This team won at Notre Dame and has veteran experience. ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi has them in his Sweet 16, knocking off the Sooners and then San Diego State.
