Missouri Tigers: 8 Teams to Root For In March
Mar 14, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward
Abdel Nader(2) dribbles the ball as Kansas Jayhawks guard Devonte Graham (4) defends during the championship game of the Big 12 tournament at Sprint Center. Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Chad’s Sleeper Pick: Iowa State Cyclones
I’m not filling out a bracket this year, but if I was, I’d take the Iowa State Cyclones to the Elite Eight at least, and possible even further.
Champions of the Big 12, there’s a lot to like about Iowa State. They’ve beat the Jayhawks twice, including in the conference tournament final, and have beaten Oklahoma twice.
Georges Niang is one of my favorite players in college basketball. The junior forward averages 15.5 points per game, and is the main cog in a top-15 offense. Another important piece for this squad is point guard Monte Morris, who averages almost 12 points per game with about 5 assists per game.
Getting to the Elite Eight will not be a cakewalk, but it could be worse. A potential matchup with SMU and Gonzaga is in their future, but they should be able to handle both teams. The real challenge would be against Duke. But if Iowa State could pull off an upset against Duke, this team could be trouble for Kentucky, or any other team in their path.