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 HAVEN, CT – MARCH 16: Harvard Crimson guard Bryce Aiken (11) fast-breaks during a college basketball game between Penn Quakers and Harvard Crimson on March 16, 2019, at John J. Lee Amphitheater in New Haven, CT. (Photo by M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
NEW HAVEN, CT – MARCH 16: Harvard Crimson guard Bryce Aiken (11) fast-breaks during a college basketball game between Penn Quakers and Harvard Crimson on March 16, 2019, at John J. Lee Amphitheater in New Haven, CT. (Photo by M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

8. Harvard Crimson

Harvard faithful had their ivy-laced hearts broken last season when they were the victim of the inaugural Ivy League Tournament format in 2018. The Crimson were the real loss when their regular season title became effectively irrelevant in terms of an NCAA Tournament bid, with their loss to Yale.

Now, however, armed with a need for revenge and the taste of a fresh right hook to the jaw fueling them, this roster filled with high-major talent should be able to revive their NCAA Tournament selection history in the 2019-20 season.

The senior triumvirate came straight out of a storybook in Harvard’s recruiting class of 2016, will look to continue to improve their legacy at the school. Seth Towns, Chris Lewis and Bryce Aiken will look to push this team to a tournament berth.

Not only that, though.

This year’s Harvard team is primed for success. They brought in two top-150 recruits in the country in Chris Ledlum and Luke Sakota and still retain talents like athletic wing Justin Bassey, last year’s top Ivy League Rookie of the Year Noah Kirkwood, and more to bolster their ranks.

Head coach Tommy Amaker has recruited his way into success in the past, but has fallen short of being a main stage act thanks to two gut-wrenching defeats, don’t look for them to be denied against in 2020, and don’t count out a revenge-fueled Cinderella run come March when they fight their way into the Big Dance.