March Madness 2026: 5 ‘Cinderella’ teams to watch out for early in the NCAA tournament

While there is plenty of talent at the top of the bracket, a great “Cinderella” run might be the best part of the NCAA tournament each spring.

Whether one can actually make it to the Final Four remains to be seen. The highest seed to ever make it that far is a No. 8 seed, and we’re coming off a year where all four No. 1 seeds reached the Final Four. Looking at the No. 1 seeds this time around, it’s entirely plausible for that to happen again.

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Here are five Cinderellas teams — simply defined as a No. 6 seed or higher — to keep an eye on early throughout the NCAA tournament. If things go right, one of them can not only make a historic run, but also cause some bracket chaos along the way.

No. 11 Miami (OH)

First Matchup: No. 11 SMU (play-in game)

Yes, the RedHawks were one of the last teams to even make the field. But they completed an undefeated regular season, and that has to count for something. After a number of close wins throughout the year, it’s hard to ever rule the RedHawks out no matter how easy their path was in the MAC or whatever metrics don’t stack up well with the rest of the field. Wins are wins.

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If the RedHawks can get out of the play-in game — which is taking place only about an hour from their campus in Ohio — look out.

No. 12 Akron

First matchup: No. 5 Texas Tech

The Zips were the best team in the MAC this season, and they took the conference tournament title after sneaking past Toledo in the title game. They only lost once in conference play, but just barely, to the RedHawks.

But the key here is their first-round matchup. The RedRaiders have struggled down the stretch after losing star JT Toppin to an ACL injury. They lost three straight to end the year, too, including a 22-point blowout to Iowa State in the Big 12 tournament. This is a great opening game for Akron. An early win may just propel the Zips into the second weekend of the tournament for the first…

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Author : Ryan Young

Publish date : 2026-03-16 00:56:00

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