Teams that may haunt you in your nightmares

Shhhh. They’re sleeping.

It happens every year, even with all the hype that is given to… Shhhh. They’re sleeping.

It happens every year, even with all the hype that is given to Championship Week — culminating with the seedings presented and analyzed on Selection Sunday — as everyone rushes to fill the brackets by Thursday, there are still teams that go under the radar — The Sleepers.

These Sleepers, usually the champions of a mid-major conference, will bust your bracket if you don’t do your homework. Every year, there seems to be a team that comes from nowhere and fills out the final spot in the Sweet 16.

Just last year the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee snuck into the Sweet 16 while Taylor Coppenrath led Vermont from the America East Conference to a first round upset over Big East Champion Syracuse.

It happens every year, so why should this year be any different?

So you might be asking, if the mid-major teams are never on television, and the bracketology special on ESPN only spent 30 seconds covering them while they talked about Duke and UConn for two hours, how are you, a student who spent last week soaking up sun at Palm Beach or Cancun with no ESPN in sight, supposed to know anything about these teams?

Well, wake up and keep reading while I break down a mid-major team from each bracket that seems like it might be the sleeper that has what it takes to ruin your brackets faster than you can say, “super, scintillating and sensational.”

Now keep in mind, while I’m admittedly no expert, I have dabbled in my share of brackets. In the words of your CAS adviser, I may not be getting my degree in bracketology, But I probably have enough credits for a certification and maybe by the end of the term could have a minor in it.

Here are my sleepers:

Atlanta Region

The Iona Gaels are very similar to the aforementioned Vermont squad from last year. They have four senior starters, one of which is a superstar. Like Coppenrath, who was second in the country in scoring last season at 25.1 points a game, guard Steve Burtt averages 25.2 points per game and has the ability to carry the Gaels by himself.

I’m not exactly sure what a Gael is, but I do know they got a No. 13 seed and will be up against a very tough No. 4 seed in LSU. However, the Tigers are the No. 18-ranked team in the country, largely on the part of their solid frontcourt. I don’t know if their guards can contain Burtt’s scoring.

When LSU lost to Florida in the SEC Semifinal game, they allowed the Gators to shoot 54 percent from the field and gave up 18 points to an ill Taureen Green, who only averages 13.8 a game.

If Burtt goes off, it seems like little-known Iona could squeak past the better known and nationally ranked LSU Tigers.

DC Region

Out of this region I like the 12-ranked Utah State Aggies. While they lost to Nevada in the Western Athletic Conference tournament final, the committee still found them worthy of an at-large bid. The WAC may not be the toughest conference, but the Aggies could win a game or two.

They are led by two fantastic scorers, Nate Harris (17.2 ppg) and Jaycee Carroll (16.1 ppg), and every guy they put on the floor has the ability to fill it up. They have the fourth-best field goal percentage in the entire country.

And remember, they got a No. 12 seed. For the past five years, at least one No. 12 seed moved on.

Minneapolis Region

Wisconsin-Milwaukee has to stand out in this region. They went to the Sweet 16 last year and it seems like another run could be in the making.

They got the No. 11 seed and will take on the Sooners of Oklahoma. While this year’s team might not seem as potent as last year’s team with Bruce Pearl — who now coaches the second seed in the D.C. bracket, Tennessee — they still managed to win the Horizon League Tournament.

The Panthers have two players that average 16 points or more a game in Joah Tucker (16.4) and Boo Davis (16.2) to lead them. Although this is their first year under Pearl’s former assistant Rob Jeter, the Panthers having sleeper experience could be all they need to slip past Oklahoma.

Oakland Region

One of the hottest teams coming into the tournament is San Diego State. The No. 11 Aztecs have won 16 of their last 18 games, and that could be all the momentum they need to take on Mike Davis’ Indiana Hoosiers.

Although Indiana could be playing with a little extra emotion because Davis’ tenure will expire as soon as the Hoosiers are eliminated, I still think they are prime for an upset.

The Aztecs have three serious offensive threats. Forward Mohamed Abukar, a transfer from Florida, has averaged 13.8 points per game, while the Mountain West Player of the Year Brandon Heath averaged 18.3. Rounding out their trio is Marcus Slaughter with 16.6 points of his own per game. When those three are clicking, they can give any team problems.

Dave Thomas is a senior staff writer for The Pitt News. E-mail him at dthomas7224@yahoo.com.