5. Hofstra Pride (14-seed, East Region)
In the history of the NCAA Tournament, only two No. 14 seeds have ever made it to the Sweet 16. If we would’ve got to see March Madness in 2020, however, there could have been a third team added to that list as the Hofstra Pride made their return to the Big Dance for the first time in 19 years.
Make no mistake, the Pride are a flawed team. According to the KenPom efficiency rankings, they are the 187th ranked team in defensive efficiency. Additionally, Hofstra lacks any elite size and isn’t going to match up well with big teams, especially on the glass. But despite all of this, the Pride knows how to get buckets and has two players who are highly capable in that regard.
Senior guard Desure Buie averaged 18.2 points and 5.9 assists per game while his running mate in the backcourt, senior Eli Pemberton, averaged 17.6 points per game. Furthermore, all three of Hofstra’s leading scores shot 38 percent or better from 3-point range on the season while the team as a whole shot 37.5 percent from long-range on the year as well.
Despite their shortcomings that are obvious hindrances to a run, a team that is capable of getting hot from the outside and that has playmakers to carry them is always highly dangerous when March rolls around. That’s very much the MO of Hofstra and, as such, this team could’ve gotten on a heater and made some trouble for higher seeds in the tournament.