Back in my day, picking Cinderella out in a crowd was easy. All you had to look for was the cute chick in an evening gown and wearing one glass slipper.
With the way Hollywood is going about remakes for so many children’s classics, it’s no longer that simple. In some cases, Cinderella may come off more like Cruella de Vil.
It’s the same in the world of college basketball where everyone has their own definition for the requirements of a Cinderella team. For this look at upcoming conference tournaments, a Cinderella is simply a dark horse sitting no better than fourth in their league, and offering a nice little payday on the current college basketball futures.
Memphis Tigers – AAC
Right off the tip, we have a team that many will argue isn’t a Cinderella, and that’s understandable since the Tigers spent five weeks in the polls earlier this season and were picked as a contender for the AAC crown by top NCAAB sportsbooks.
But there have been some ugly efforts, and it is that inconsistency that will scare away most bettors when the AAC Tournament gets underway. Of particular concern are the three consecutive losses to Tulane, UAB and Rice.
The flip side, however, is the 4-0 record Memphis has against AP top 25 clubs, and 3-2 in the old Q1 column. The Tigers close the season at Florida Atlantic, and a win in Boca Raton would be a huge lift going into the AAC Tournament.
Another team to watch in the AAC is SMU. The Mustangs galloped all over the Tigers a few weeks back, and a rematch in the conference tournament could very well decide the AAC Championship.
Texas Tech Red Raiders – Big 12
Other than maybe West Virginia and Oklahoma State, can any Big 12 team be described as a dark horse or Cinderella?
Yes, things have certainly changed – and fast! – in the league that Kansas once ruled with an iron fist. Why, even given their ups and downs this season, even Bill Self and the Jayhawks get lumped in with a large group of Big 12 challengers chasing top-ranked Houston.
Texas Tech, it could be argued, has endured more downs than ups, and bettors will be quick to point out the Red Raiders’ 12-16 record against the NCAAB odds. But Grant McCasland still has the team in line to claim that valuable No. 4 seed for the Big 12 Tournament.
They will need to get Warren Washington back from his foot injury to provide some inside muscle, but this is a well-balanced squad on both ends of the floor, and perfectly capable of cutting down the nets in Kansas City next week.
Nebraska Cornhuskers – Big Ten
Considering the Cornhuskers were +8000 to win the Big Ten before the season began, and part of ‘the field’ at many sharp sportsbooks to win it all, Nebraska has done an outstanding job just to be sitting fourth in the conference ranks at this time.
Once again, that fourth-place slot means a lot as the top 4 seeds in the Big Ten earn byes into the quarterfinals at the Target Center in Minneapolis, and Fred Hoiberg knows full well his team’s hold on fourth is tenuous at best.
Hoiberg also knows he has his crew playing well as the regular season draws to a close, with a loss at Ohio State the only misstep in the last month. The Cornhuskers have been making friends with bettors as well, thanks to a 9-3 ATS mark on their last dozen trips to the floor.
Nevada Wolf Pack – Mountain West
At the risk of sounding like the cranky old man that I am, why hasn’t the Mountain West Conference gotten more love from the media and the fans this season?
Joe Lunardi has a half-dozen teams from the MWC making their way into the NCAA Tournament, and it just so happens the Wolf Pack sit No. 6 in the league as far as net ranking goes, Nevada earning a 40 in that column.
Nevada should have been on everyone’s radar when the Wolf Pack won the Diamond Head Classic in December, but where they’ve really excelled is going up against ranked teams in the conference (3-1 vs. AP top 25).
Texas A&M Aggies – SEC
I also hate to sound like the homer that I can be, so maybe it’s best to file this college basketball pick under the heading ‘Wishful Thinking.’
It has been an extremely frustrating season for Buzz Williams and the Aggies, and just as maddening for Texas A&M fans and bettors who held higher expectations for the team when it entered the campaign at No. 15 in the AP.
As we’ve seen the past two years, however, the Aggies come alive in the postseason, and they have a guard in Wade Taylor IV that can carry a team through the conference tournament…and beyond.
“That just speaks to who 4 is.” 🙌@TeamCoachBuzz speaks on the winning mentality that Wade Taylor IV brings to the Aggies 🏀 pic.twitter.com/5POopVtLVZ
— TexAgs Radio (@TexAgsRadio) March 4, 2024
