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USATSI

Upsets and surprises are what March Madness is all about, but finding the teams doing the upsetting and running deep into the bracket can be an inexact science. And by inexact science I mean a total dart throw. Who could've seen UCLA, forced to play its way into the tournament a year ago, marching all the way to the Final Four as an 11 seed? Or No. 12 seed Oregon State making a run to the Elite Eight? 

Nobody. 

That's the beauty of March. And while guessing Cinderellas is a near-impossible feat, it's not stopped us before (and sure won't stop us now!) from trying to pin down the teams capable of fitting into that mold this year. So as you fill out your bracket and decide which squad with long shot odds is worth a look, here is one team from each region to consider.

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South Regional

No. 12 seed UAB (27-7)

First up: No. 5 seed Houston. Then possibly: No. 4 seed Illinois.

Led by former Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy, the UAB Blazers are dancing into the NCAAs for the first time since 2015 and doing so with style after winning their final four regular season games and running the table in the Conference USA Tournament. This team has the goods with a nice blend of size -- starting center Trey Jemison is 7-foot -- and scoring -- junior Jordan Walker led C-USA in scoring at 20.4 points per game -- that makes them a viable Cinderella candidate. They fared well against high-major competition in the nonconference slate, too, so this is not a total long shot. Path to a second weekend appearance is there for the taking. 

Midwest Regional

No. 13 seed South Dakota State (30-4)

First up: No. 4 seed Providence. Then possibly: No. 5 seed Iowa.

What is there to say of South Dakota State? This team won 30 games on the season, is riding a 21-game winning streak and has not lost since Dec. 15. It is the best 3-point shooting team in the entire sport -- a feat that last season Baylor claimed and rode to a national championship. Now, are the Jackrabbits bound to win it all? Probably not! But they're my Cinderella pick out of the Midwest and I've got them upsetting Providence in every bracket I've done since Selection Sunday.

West Regional

No. 10 seed Davidson (27-6)

First up: No. 7 seed Michigan State. Then possibly: No. 2 seed Duke.

A loss in the A-10 title game to Richmond rubbed some shine off the darling Davidson Wildcats, but Bob McKillop's bunch can ball. With a slow, plodding style buttressed by great shooting, they win with efficiency and top-end talent. Senior Luka Brajkovic was the league's Player of the Year and Hyunjung Lee and Foster Loyer were All-A-10 performers. This veteran group has a real path to the second weekend, but it would likely have to do so against two Hall of Fame coaches in Tom Izzo and Mike Krzyzewski.

East Regional

No. 11 seed Virginia Tech (23-12)

First up: No. 6 seed Texas. Then possibly: No. 3 seed Purdue.

By all indications given on Selection Sunday, Virginia Tech likely would not have been in the NCAA Tournament field if it had not won the ACC Tournament. But it did win the ACC Tournament, clinching four wins in four days -- including over top-seeded Duke -- to claim the crown for the first time in school history in men's hoops. They enter the NCAA Tournament as winners of 13 of their last 15, and I can guarantee you no team in the East is too thrilled with the Hokies getting slotted as an 11-seed. They got hot at the right time and could be a real second weekend threat even with higher-seeded Texas, and likely Purdue, standing in their way.