A brutal schedule. Dominating its conference. Five players averaging at least 9.8 points per game. The most dominant big man in the history of the Summit League.

All those ingredients make Oakland one of the most intriguing mid-major teams in the NCAA Tournament.

Will that make the Golden Grizzlies the latest Cinderella?

Oakland drew a No. 13 seed and will face fourth-seeded Texas in the second round of the tournament. It was an improvement over the No. 14 seed the Grizzlies garnered last year after winning the Summit League regular-season and tournament championships -- a feat Oakland repeated this season.

The key factor for the Grizzlies is Keith Benson, who's getting significant buzz as an NBA prospect. Benson is the only Summit League player to total 1,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 300 blocks in his career. He holds the conference record for career blocked shots. He set the Oakland single-season record for double-doubles with 20.

He's not the only guy to watch, however. Reggie Hamilton, Will Hudson, Travis Bader, Drew Valentine and sixth man Larry Wright also are individually capable of taking over a game on any given night. Their collective presence is why Oakland averages 85.6 points per game, the second-highest output in all of Division I heading into the postseason.

Will it be enough for Oakland to make some headway in the NCAAs? We'll find out on Friday when the Grizzlies take the court to face the Longhorns.

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