It’s that time of year again, when that guy in your class cares more about calling a March Madness upset than their group project that’s due in a week.

While the chances of filling out a perfect bracket are 1 in 9.2 quintillion, it is still a blast to try. Because there is only one game to decide whether a team moves on or not, upsets are way more possible than in a multiple-game series. Here is one team from each region that could mess around and find out that they’ve won a game or two.

East Region: No. 11 South Florida Bulls

As much as it hurts to say as a Tulanian, the University of South Florida is legit. They are coming into their game against the No. 6 University of Louisville with 11-straight wins, including the American Conference Championship Game. Only one of those victories was a one-possession game, meaning that they’ve been winning convincingly. 

Forward Izaiyah Nelson won both the Defensive Player of the Year and Player of the Year in the conference. He is extremely athletic and causes matchup problems with his 6-foot-10-inch frame and records both blocks and steals at a high rate.

NCAA Division II transfer guard Wes Enis gives them another dynamic scorer, as he doesn’t need much space to create his own shot. Along with that, he can shoot from anywhere on the court; he is a great bail-out option. 

Louisville will also be without its best player and future NBA first-round pick, Mikel Brown Jr. He has been dealing with a back injury as of late, causing him to miss Louisville’s last four games. This will now be his fifth in a row.

South Region: No. 11 VCU Rams

Virginia Commonwealth University always seems to make its way into March Madness and cause problems. In 2011, when they were also the No. 11 seed, the Rams went all the way to the Final Four. This would be remarkable if it happens again, but who knows? It’s March.

This time around, they are playing the No. 6 University of North Carolina, whose best player, Caleb Wilson, is out for the season after getting injured during a practice. 

VCU also has the Atlantic 10 Conference’s Sixth Man of the Year and Most Improved Player of the Year in Terrence Hill Jr., as well as the Newcomer of the Year in Nyk Lewis. Serbian forward Lazar Djokovic was on the All-Conference First Team and is a potential candidate for name of the year.

Midwest Region: No. 12 Akron Zips

While the college basketball world was more focused on No. 11 seed Miami University in Ohio winning 31-straight games in the Mid-American Conference and losing in the conference tournament, the University of Akron quietly crept to its third March Madness appearance in a row.

With a combination of their veteran head coach, John Groce, and MAC Tournament MVP Tavari Johnson, this team is dangerous. They won the conference championship on a game-winning 3-pointer, and they are rolling in with momentum and excitement.

Miami is facing No. 5 Texas Tech University, another team missing its best player. JT Toppin tore his ACL last month, leaving a massive void in their lineup. The Zips could very well take advantage.

West Region: No. 15 Queens Royals

Although this happening is extremely unlikely, Queens University of Charlotte is a really fun and intriguing team. They will square off against the Big Ten Conference champions, No. 2 Purdue University.

Purdue currently has a resume that places them as a contender for the title. However, they tend to lose against small schools during March Madness. 

In 2021, 2022 and 2023, Purdue, led by head coach Matt Painter, lost to three teams ranked as a No. 13 seed or higher, which were the University of North Texas, Saint Peter’s University and Fairleigh Dickinson University. 

Their loss to Fairleigh Dickinson marked only the second time in March Madness history that a No. 1 seed lost to a No. 16 seed. With that track record and the same coach at the helm, it’s hard to have complete faith. 

Queens can be a very hit-or-miss team, but they can get hot. They are No. 30 in the country in most 3-point attempts per game. Carson Schwieger and Chris Ashby, a couple of flamethrowers for Queens, shoot more than five 3s for every 2-pointer they take.

Purdue’s defense is also pretty mediocre, ranking outside the top 200 nationally in effective field goal percentage, which is an important measure that adjusts for the extra value of 3s. If they decide to come out complacent and flat-footed, the Royals will have a chance to shock the world.

Of course, much of this may not matter by the end of the first round. Most brackets, including those of college basketball experts, will be in shambles. However, that is what makes March Madness so fun and exciting for both players and fans alike.