3 Best March Madness Cinderella Picks for Your 2022 Bracket

Devon Platana
Three of the best March Madness cinderella picks for your 2022 bracket.
Three of the best March Madness cinderella picks for your 2022 bracket. / Kirthmon F. Dozier / USA TODAY NETWORK
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March Madness is here, and that means there are only a couple of days left to fill out your2022 March Madness bracket.

With your funny bracket names, your march Madness winner decided and even some sleeper picks ready, it's time to consider the bigger picture. Some of the best entertainment comes when an unexpected team goes on a Cinderella run and trying to predict which school will be the next to do that can be just as fun.

Here's a look at three of the best March Madness cinderella picks for your 2022 bracket.

March Madness Cinderella Picks

1. Michigan — South Region No. 11 Seed

Expectations were high for the Michigan Wolverines and head coach Juwan Howard ahead of the 2021-22 NCAA basketball season. The season didn't go as planned with the Wolverines finishing with a 17-14 record and a second-round exit in the Big Ten Tournament. Nevertheless, Michigan still has a promising roster that includes Hunter Dickinson and Eli Brooks, two players who could go off at any moment. The Wolverines did score some impressive victories during the regular season — including one over the East Region's No. 3-seeded Purdue — so the potential is there for a deep tournament run.

2. Virginia Tech — East Region No. 11 Seed

Despite being a No. 11 seed, the Virginia Tech Hokies enjoyed a fair bit of success this season. They finished the year with a 23-12 record, with some of that success being attributed to Keve Aluma averaging 15.8 points and 6.5 rebounds per game on .534/.333/.783 shooting efficiency. What makes the Hokies an attractive cinderella pick is their defense. Virginia Tech had the 20th-best scoring defense in the nation last season and they'll need that type of play when they go up against this year's higher seeds. Their first-round opponents — the No. 6 Texas Longhorns — have been eliminated in the first game of their last four March Madness appearances. Needless to say, the path is there for Virginia Tech.

3. South Dakota State — Midwest Region No.13 Seed

Sometimes all it takes for a deep March Madness run is some momentum and that's exactly what the South Dakota State Jackrabbits have. They're entering the tournament on a 21-game win streak and are showing no signs of slowing down. A lot of South Dakota State's success has come from the team's ability to score with the best of them, averaging the second-most points (85.5 PPG) in the country this season. The Jackrabbits average 8.9 threes made per game (No. 39) on .442 accuracy (No. 1), giving them the ability to give most of their opponents a headache on the outside. Considering how South Dakota State is only a 2-point underdog in its opening-round matchup against Providence, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, the Jackrabbits are not a team to count out based on their seeding.

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Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. The views expressed in his articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.

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