Casting Cinderella: 10 teams that can be March Madness darlings

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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CHICAGO, IL – MARCH 14: Illinois Fighting Illini guard Ayo Dosunmu (11) leads discussion with his team during a Big Ten Tournament game between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Iowa Hawkeyes on March 14, 2019, at the United Center in Chicago, IL. (Photo by Patrick Gorski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

9. Illinois Fighting Illini

Okay, so they’re not exactly the typical trend for a “Cinderella.”

Before you begin flooding my inbox with the statement about the Illini being a part of the Big Ten, arguably this year’s best conference in college basketball, let’s consider one thing— have they really, been a competitive part of the Big Ten?

The Illini haven’t made the Big Dance since way back in 2013 when the team was led by former Spurs secret weapon and now Euro League-er Brandon Paul.

It’s been a frustrating few years for Illini fans, filled with potential, but ultimately negated by letdowns, underperformance and a string of program issues, focused mostly on John Groce’s tenure with the team. (See: current NBA player and former NCAA scoring leader Kendrick Nunn, for example).

That said, last season may just have signaled a change for the Illini, and their bad recent record makes them a prime Cinderella should they catch fire this season. If that happens, you may want to book them in as a potential bracket buster down the stretch of the year.

Led by future NBA point guard Ayo Dosunmu and the ever-electric personality of power forward Giorgi Bezhanishvili, the Illini captured the attention of the basketball world with a court-storming win against Michigan State last season at the State Farm Center.

They’ve reloaded, adding a solid bit of depth through recruiting, and one massive center point (literally) in the massive center Kofi Cockburn, a consensus top-50 recruit in the class of 2019.

With a fresh reload (and finally someone to rebound), and the tenacious up-tempo style of play head coach Brad Underwood brings, watch out for the Illini to be a potential bracket busting Cinderella this year.