NCAA Tournament Sleepers To Back In Your 2018 March Madness Bracket

Choosing which NCAA tournament sleepers will surprise the world with deep runs into March is a lot like finding a Duke Blue Devil whose face you don’t want to mash persistently with your fists — damn near impossible.

Honestly, you might as well gather a handful of darts, a bulletin board (or a wall you’re not very fond of), and a blindfold and make your March Madness picks that way.

But if putting some thought into getting your picks wrong is more your thing, here are 11 potential NCAA tournament sleepers to take deep into your bracket.

No. 12 New Mexico State

The Aggies enter the tourney scorching hot, having lost just twice in 2018, with one of those defeats coming in overtime. They have the 16th-best adjusted defensive efficiency in the nation, and best among mid-major teams.

First-year coach Chris Jans witnessed firsthand how to make a permanent winner out of a small school, learning under Wichita State’s Gregg Marshall. They’re also led by a pair of seniors in Zach Lofton (19.7 points per game) and Jemerrio Jones (13.3 rebounds per game).

No. 6 Houston

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The Cougars have something going for them that not many others do: a coach who’s been there before. Back in 2002, Kelvin Sampson led the Oklahoma Sooners to the Final Four with a roster full of guys you’ve since forgotten about. Houston also has wins over Cincinnati, a No.

2 seed, and Wichita State, a No. 4. They made it to the finals of the AAC tournament, where they fell to Cincy by a single point.

No. 11 San Diego State

If backing the Houston Cougars doesn’t sound appealing to you, perhaps you’ll consider their first-round opponents. The Aztecs are just 22-10, but the returning health of Trey Kell could make them a different team.

The senior guard has been limited by ankle and thigh injuries this season, but he appears to be rounding into form just in time for the tournament: In his last four games (three of them against tournament teams), he’s averaging 18 points, including a 28-point effort in a win in the Mountain West title game.

No. 8 Missouri

The argument for the Tigers is the same as the argument for San Diego State, but on steroids. Entering the season, Mizzou freshman Michael Porter Jr. was projected to go in the top five of the NBA draft. But two minutes into his college career, Porter suffered a back injury that’d require surgery.

He looked rusty in his first game back, but Porter and brother Jontay, also a freshman, have the talent to carry the Tigers to a deep run.