2025 March Madness Potential Cinderellas: 5 Double-Digit Seeded Teams To Watch

IT IS MARCH. After months of waiting, the tournament is finally here. One thing we know & love about the tournament is the upsets & Cinderella teams that come alive. Anything can happen in the tournament and we’ll be looking at 5 double-digit seeded teams in the best position to make a Cinderella Run this year. 

Drake Bulldogs, #11 Seed

If you don’t know the name Bennett Stirtz, you are going to after this tournament. The leader of the Bulldogs and an athletic playmaker, Stirtz has his team entering the tournament with a 30-3 record. This is one of the best records in all of college basketball. They have a tough first draw against a Missouri team who is one of the top scoring teams in the nation. Unfortunately for Missouri, the Bulldogs lead the nation in fewest points allowed at only 58.4 per game. The Tigers don’t have a defensive gameplan to contain Stirtz and we’re riding high on the Bulldogs. A potential round of 32 game against Texas Tech can end up being a classic! 

High Point University, #13 Seed

The High Point Panthers draw a Purdue team that looks like a figment of the Champion Runner-Ups from just a season ago. Without Zach Edey, this Purdue team is beatable. They’ve lost 6 of their last 9 games including a bad loss to Indiana, a team that failed to make the tournament. High Point is at a high point right now, riding a double-digit win streak into the tournament. The Panthers and Boilermakers are two accurate shooting teams, with High Point being 7th best and Purdue being 11th best respectively. This is going to be a very close match and if High Point starts heating up, they can pull off a win or two in the tournament.

Akron University, #13 Seed

The Zips won the MAC in commanding fashion and finished the season with a 28-6 record. Their first matchup is against a struggling Arizona team. Arizona has lost 6 of their last 11 games and is on upset alert. The Zips are the 9th highest scoring team in Division 1 and know how to light up the scoreboard. They are the highest scoring 3 point team in the tournament with 10.9 three point makes per game. With the way some games where you just need to rely on the deep ball, Akron leads the field in this. If they get hot, they can make a deep run this year. 

San Diego State / UNC, #11 Seed

We’re including both these teams here as any selections you make now will include both. Regardless of who wins the First Four matchup between the two, the winner will face off against Ole Miss. Ole Miss is a very beatable team, they are one of the worst rebounding teams in the country and their offense is mediocre at best. Being in the SEC is what propelled them into a #6 seed. After beating the Rebels, SDSU or UNC will face an Iowa State team hit by injuries. Iowa State will be without their top player Keshon Gilbert for the tournament. If UNC / SDSU makes the Sweet 16, the top team available to play is a MSU squad that is one of the weakest top 4 seeds in the tournament. This year, we might see a First Four Team make it as far as the Elite 8.

Colorado State Rams, #12 Seed

The Rams didn’t need to worry about being on bubble watch anymore after making a run in the Mountain West tournament to win and get the automatic qualifier. The Rams managed that feat behind senior guard Nique Clifford who is close to averaging a double-double with 19 points per game and 9.7 rebounds per game. With Memphis without guard Tyrese Hunter, Clifford can outperform his current averages and have an ever bigger game than normal. Memphis barely survived their conference tournament. The Rams are on a mission and if they can pull off the win, they might see another bracket buster candidate in Grand Canyon in the Round of 32. The Rams are a team that has the talent to make a Sweet 16 run.