Every year in the NCAA Men’s Division 1 Basketball Tournament, teams from smaller conferences win some games they aren’t expected to and make a cinderella run in the tournament. These upsets are what make the tournament so special. Here are two smaller conference teams that you should be paying attention to as we get closer to the start of the 2021 March Madness Tournament. 

*I'll be introducing about 6 total teams from now until when the first bracket is released.

Loyola Chicago

(19-4) overall record, (14-2) league record

ESPN’s projected tournament seed: 9

Kenpom (college basketball analytical website rank):

Overall: 10th

Offense: 53rd

Defense: 1st

Why they’ve been successful: 

This Loyola Chicago team is different from your typical mid-major that makes a run in the tournament. They are currently ranked 22nd in the country, and are awesome defensively, ranked by Kenpom as the number 1 defensive team in college basketball. Ever since the Ramblers made the Final Four in the 2017-2018 season, their program has gained popularity and started to attract some attention. But this is the best team Loyola has had since they made the Final Four back in the 2017-2018 season, and has raised some consideration by analysts as to whether this team is possibly even better. Cameron Krutwig, who was a starter as a freshman on that Final Four team, is now a senior that currently averages 15 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 3 assists per game. He doesn’t have a great shooting ability from deep, but he’s been compared to Nikola Jokic in the past due to the way he can score and his innate ability to pass. Just like Denver, Loyola will run set’s to utilize Krutwig as a passer throughout the tournament. 

Outside of Krutwig, this Loyola team is balanced. Lucas Willamson was a rotation player as a freshman on the final four-team, and is now a senior who makes a huge impact on both sides of the ball. Known as a fantastic defender, he’s also the 2nd leading scorer on the team, averaging 8 points per game. The Ramblers also have 5 other players averaging between 7.0-7.9 points per game, including Keith Clemons who’s shooting with an impressive 45.6% field goal percentage from the field..

This Loyola Chicago team is really good. They have a star in Krutwig, are extremely well-coached, have some nice role players, and a good enough defense to give them a great chance against whoever they play in the first round.

Wright State

(18-5) overall record, (16-4) league record

ESPN’s projected tourney seed: 13

Kenpom (college basketball analytical website rank)

Overall: 63rd

Offense: 66th

Defense: 57th

Why they’ve been successful: 

Wright State is an interesting team. Offensively, they are ranked 34th in the country in effective field goal percentage, 36th in made three-point percentage, and 24th in offensive rebound percentage. As a team, Wright State does a pretty good job of knocking shots down and grabbing extra possessions. Defensively, the Raiders are 10th in the country in effective field goal percentage and are 3rd in field goal rate.

Loudon Love leads the Raiders in both points and rebounds, averaging 16.7 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. They have a couple of other players averaging double figures, in Tanner Holden with 15.8 points and 7.2 rebounds, Grant Basilie with 14.2 points and 6.7 rebounds, and Tim Finke 10.0 points and 6.9 boards. In addition, Treyvon Calvin scores just under 10 a game at 9.9 and Jaylon Hall contributes 9.4 points per game, while shooting an impressive 46.6 percent from the three-point line. 

This is a good shooting team on the offensive side of the ball, who does a pretty good job not fouling and forcing the other team to miss shots defensively. This is a dangerous 12-14 seed in March, and a team you should keep your eye on in the Horizon Conference Tournament.

For a typical mid-major team to win a game in March, they ordinarily have to either be excellent offensively or defensively. Typically, having the ability to hit a ton of threes, making the game ugly/sloppy, or having a star capable of carrying the team is the recipe for success on dark horse teams. Both these teams fit the requirements of teams that can win games in the tournament and should be watched carefully moving forward.