5 Smart Choice Cinderella teams for the 2023 March Madness bracket

ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO - JANUARY 09: Connor Vanover #35 of the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles shoots a 3-pointer against Jaelen House #10 of the New Mexico Lobos during the first half of their game at The Pit on January 09, 2023 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. (Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images) /

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G Walter Clayton Jr, Iona Gaels. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images) /

3. Iona Gaels

The Gaels are hoping to duplicate the feat that conference rival Saint Peter’s pulled off a year ago with a deep March Madness run of their own. Rick Pitino’s team finished the regular season on fire, ripping off 14 consecutive wins to snag the MAAC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

There is a lot of talent in Iona’s starting lineup as Walter Clayton Jr, the MAAC’s Player of the Year, teams with fellow guard Daniss Jenkins and forward Nelly Junior Joseph to form a three-headed monster that most mid-majors can’t top. Iona also is a major nuisance on the defensive end as they press in a similar model to the way that Pitino operated with at Louisville, a style of defense that could give top seeds a headache in the first round.

The fact that Pitino is on the Iona sideline also makes them dangerous since few mid-majors can ever expect to routinely win the coaching battle against their opponents. Pitino nearly knocked out No. 2 seed Alabama as a No. 15 seed in 2021 and this edition of Iona is far superior to that one.

The Gaels won’t have to travel too far as they head to Albany to take on UConn, which is playing excellent basketball. The coaching edge that Pitino will have over Dan Hurley will help here as Iona’s press could give the Huskies issues.

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