Fansided

Casting Cinderella: 10 teams that can be March Madness darlings

By Nate Williamson

SPOKANE, WA - FEBRUARY 17: Kameron Edwards #20 and Eric Cooper #2 of the Pepperdine Waves attempt to box out Silas Melson #0 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs after a free throw in the first half at McCarthey Athletic Center on February 17, 2018 in Spokane, Washington. Gonzaga defeated Pepperdine 81-67. (Photo by William Mancebo/Getty Images)
SPOKANE, WA - FEBRUARY 17: Kameron Edwards #20 and Eric Cooper #2 of the Pepperdine Waves attempt to box out Silas Melson #0 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs after a free throw in the first half at McCarthey Athletic Center on February 17, 2018 in Spokane, Washington. Gonzaga defeated Pepperdine 81-67. (Photo by William Mancebo/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 14: Providence Friars guard David Duke (3) drives to the basket during the first half of the Big East Tournament quarterfinal game between the Villanova Wildcats and the Providence Friars on March 14, 2019 at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 14: Providence Friars guard David Duke (3) drives to the basket during the first half of the Big East Tournament quarterfinal game between the Villanova Wildcats and the Providence Friars on March 14, 2019 at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

10. Providence Friars

The Providence Friars saw their five-year NCAA Tournament appearance streak come to an end last year when Ed Cooley’s side failed to make the .500 mark in conference play for the first time in his tenure at the school.

With their recent success, it’s easy to say last season was a bit of a disappointment for the Friar faithful.

That said, they’re poised to be back with a vengeance this season when the tournament rolls around. With a scheme that runs on ball-dominant point guards (one of the highest in the league in terms of guard assists), this team looks prime to avoid any roster turnover that comes from the loss of players like Isaiah Jackson and Makai Ashton-Langford (who, admittedly, was a bit of a disappointment to me last season).

They do return influential players in bulk, as Alpha Diallo, Nate Watson, AJ Reeves, David Duke (notably, a former top-50 prospect who could make a big jump this year) and more all return to the line-up— and that’s just in the expected starting line. They also brought in guard Luwane Pipkins from UMass, who averaged 16 points, 4.9 rebounds and five assists last season. Pipkins should start for the Friars, and bolster an already strong and experienced lineup.

The consistency of this Providence program should return to form in 2019-20, and with a bolstered lineup and a more-than-capable guard at the helm to feed the sharpshooting AJ Reeves, Providence could look for a program-defining Cinderella run in the 2020 National Tournament.