Why Low Seeds Continue To Pull Upsets In The NCAA tourney

The NCAA basketball tournament field has now been released. Folks nationwide, myself included,  have been filling out their brackets,  trying to predict the upsets and have a good bracket for different contests,  pools and such.

And there will be a few upsets. They always are, and probably always will.

There are these hungry,  mid-major teams, and even low seeded teams in power conferences that get hot and rise to the occasion.  I have written before about Cinderella teams and recently how to analyze and pick some of these upsets.

Here is why you will always have upsets in the tourney

1. Matchups

These can come from players with more depth,  experience and ability.  They aren't relying on a player or two to carry them. They are a team in every sense. Also, it comes down to coaching in the later rounds. Some coaches simply know how to get the best out of their own players and exploit the opponent's weakness. Often this can be a veteran coach whose team wasn't highly touted coming in, or an up and coming coach who is getting his shot. The matchups are thus key.

2. Schedule

Some teams simply play a more brutal schedule.  Think Kansas, Michigan,  Michigan State, or North Carolina,  in comparison to Wichita State. The talent may be equal, but the experience of facing tough competition every week helps in a one and done,  tournament scenario.

3. Experience and leadership

There are teams that didn't have a bunch of players jump to the NBA after a season or two. They stayed and have gathered a lot of chemistry, especially in the tournament. These are the ones that may not do much during the regular season,  but can thrive during a six game stretch on a neutral court. 

4. The Selection Committee

Sometimes I wonder if the people putting together these brackets even watches basketball anymore.  One really has to watch from Midnight Madness, on into the conference tournaments, and not just look at stats and computer data.  This causes some teams to be seeded too high, and other teams to be seeded lower. The lower seeds then have a chip on their shoulder, and do their talking on the court. 

5. Lots at stake for players and coaches. 

Not only do the tournaments bring the schools money, they give both players and coaches alike exposure, especially the smaller, mid-major schools. You have underrated players trying to get noticed by pro scouts, and coaches trying to pad their resumes and get a bigger time, higher paying job. This causes more hunger and grit against teams filled with high school All-Americans.  The emotion spills from players and coaches,  and you have more exciting games.

So why do you think there are so many upsets in college basketball during the NCAA tournament?