Tournament Sleepers
One thing I love about the NCAA tournament -- the Cinderella stories that develop in the early rounds.
When I pick sleeper teams, I go with squads that are seeded fifth and up. I don't want to hear that a #3 seed is a real sleeper!
With that said, here are my sleepers by region...
MIDWEST
WEST VIRGINIA (6)
In a one-and-done scenario, coaches can often make a big difference. I look at Bob Huggins as a guy who does a great job preparing his team. This is a very talented group with Alex Ruoff on the outside and diaper dandy Devin Ebanks a force on the glass. This team will be a very tough out.
WEST
PURDUE (5)
The Boilermakers are happy to have a healthy Robbie Hummel in the lineup. This team defends really well and JaJuan Johnson is a force inside. Matt Painter's team will be very tough and should make the Sweet 16.
EAST
UCLA (6)
The Bruins are trying to make the Final Four for the fourth straight time. Ben Howland is an excellent tournament coach and Darren Collison is a terrific leader in the backcourt. This is a very dangerous club that has had its share of ups and downs this season.
SOUTH
CLEMSON (7)
The Tigers stumbled against Georgia Tech in the ACC tournament, leading to the lower seed. Trevor Booker will be tough to stop inside and K.C. Rivers is capable of scoring big in the tournament. Oliver Purnell's club is capable of making some noise.
