2022 March Madness Upset Alert

It is FINALLY here. One of the craziest times of the year is upon us. The best postseason event in all sports is back this March and promises to bring a lot of madness. The excitement of any team winning is real, making this event even more exciting. For this article, I am going to highlight some upset potential for the first round of the tournament. No, I am not saying that each of these teams is going to win, but just some teams I am going to put on upset alert. For argument’s sake, I am going to call a higher seed winning the game an upset. Let’s get right to it with 2022 March Madness Upset Alert.

West Region

(10) Davidson over (7) Michigan State

Michigan State is currently a one-point favorite in this game so maybe upset isn’t the best term here, but Davidson is a double-digit seed primed to have a good showing. Davidson is a scary team because they are very efficient. They have a 55.6 effective field goal percentage which ranks 14th in the country. They shoot 38.6% from three-point land which is 6th best in the nation, and Michigan allows 7 three-pointers made per game which is 144th in the nation. Davidson is also one of the country’s best teams in taking care of the basketball averaging just under 10 per game, which ranks 11th in college basketball.

(13) Vermont over (4) Arkansas

This one hurts a little because I am an Arkansan and a huge Razorback fan, but Vermont is a scary and experienced team. Vermont is a Senior laden team that has a lot of experience playing together. Vermont is another highly effective scoring team that ranks top 10 in their effective FG%, 2-point %, and shooting efficiency. Vermont is a team that shoots just under 39% from downtown, which has been a roller coaster stat for the defending Razorbacks. The Hogs have gone through stretches of being a top defensive team, only to be let down at times. If the athleticism of the Hogs doesn’t bother the Catamounts, then we are in for a tough matchup putting Arkansas on upset alert.

East Region

(12) Indiana over (5) St. Mary

Everyone’s favorite upset seeding line is the 12 over 5. After battling through a rough conference record, the Hoosiers found themselves in a play-in game for the big dance. After beating Wyoming, and potentially getting out some tournament jitters they aim their sights to St. Mary. Indiana does not pop out statistically in any major category, but they are certainly battle-tested coming out of the big ten. They also have Trayce Jackson-Davis who has been on a tear and the kind of player who can dominate a game. At least one team has made it out of these “first four” games in nine of the last ten years. Give me Indiana in this matchup.

(11) Virginia Tech over Texas (6)

Virginia Tech comes into the matchup off a sizzling run in winning the ACC conference tournament. Winners of 13  out of their last 15 Virginia Tech seems to have found something heading into postseason play. They are a well-rounded team with versatility that will cause Texas fits. Texas is coming into the tournaments with a lot of struggles and is coming off three straight losses.  While both defenses are tough to score against, Virginia Tech just has so many ways to win and is playing much better basketball. I like the Hokies for the upset.

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South Region

(10) Loyola Chicago over (7) Ohio State

Loyola is another really dangerous team in the postseason ranking top 10 in their effective FG% and shooting efficiency. They rank 14th in 3-point percentage at 38%, while Ohio State is 205th in the country for opposing 3 point percentage. Loyola also ranks top 50 in major defensive categories such as shooting percentage allowed, effective FG percentage allowed, and two-point FGs allowed. In other words, Loyola can really shoot it and are good at limiting other teams from shooting. Let’s not forget the Sister Jean magic!

Midwest Region

(13) South Dakota State over (4) Providence

Currently, Vegas has Providence as a 2-point favorite. That is a very tightly projected game for a 4-13 matchup. That goes to show the amount of respect South Dakota State has garnered. Looking into the stats, South Dakota State is electric on offense. They average 85.5 points per game (#2 in the nation) while shooting 44.2% from downtown (1st in the country). They rank 1st in effective FG percentage and second in field goals made per game. This is a team riding a 21-game winning streak featuring three players averaging over 14 points per game. Providence has held opponents to just 31.2% from deep this season, but this is a team that has shooters everywhere and can really score it. I expect this game to be high-scoring and would not be shocked to see an upset here.

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