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By Tyler Erzberger
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Selection Sunday is upon us, and the most chaotic, exciting, and drama-filled tournament of the year is about to begin: March Madness.
The men's Division I basketball tournament always welcomes heroes, villains, and a whole slew of new characters to the national stage, as a kid with 500 social media followers today could become a household name by the end of the month.
But beyond everything else, the characters who make March Madness the most special are the underdogs. The teams that walk into the tournament as nobodies to most of the country, but take the crowd by storm with their unique personalities and play styles.
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And picking the right underdog can be the difference between winning your pool or watching as your colleague next to you feels smug about their mid-major that made the Sweet 16.
Here are five underdogs you need to keep your eye on before filling out your bracket.
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McNeese Cowboys (28-5)
Amir "Aura" Khan, the dancing equipment manager with the jeweled boombox, is back, and so are the Cowboys.
When you're looking for an underdog to ride with, you want to find a team that is specifically elite in one area that can get the deeper teams off balance. With the Cowboys, it's their defense, which is overwhelming and, per KenPom, top 50 in the nation. They're going to muddy up the game against whoever they play, and that gives the Cowboys a good shot at upsetting their opponent in the opening contest.
Yale Bulldogs (24-5)
Yale is the complete opposite of the Cowboys. They have an awful, downright terrible defense, but when it comes to pure shooting, they're one of the best in the entire nation. They shoot three pointers like it's breathing air, and if they catch fire, the Bulldogs can outgun teams much better than them.
Santa Clara Broncos (26-8)
The West Coast Conference is usually looked at as Gonzaga at the top with St. Mary's always dutifully behind them, trying to overtake the top dog.
But this year, that duo is a trio, with the Broncos quietly making their way into the tournament while all the attention is on the WCC pair.
Don't sleep on the Broncos. Santa Clara beat a strong Gaels team in the tournament and gave Gonzaga a good fight in the conference title. The Broncos' offense is legit, and even though they're slated to be a No. 10 or No. 11 seed, they are talented enough to beat a good team from a power conference.
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