7 college basketball underdogs that will win 2026 March Madness brackets

· Yahoo Sports

The 2026 March Madness bracket craziness is about to ensue, and every college basketball fan is looking for an edge in order to secure perfection.

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Top teams like Duke, Michigan and Florida will likely be very common picks to make deep runs during the NCAA Tournament. However, the 2025-26 college basketball season has shown that newcomers could be a viable option in March.

MORE: 2026 March Madness automatic bids, all 31 conference winners

During this week’s conference championship games, Kennesaw State proved that the madness has already begun after reaching their second NCAA Tournament. While their odds of winning March Madness are extremely low, that doesn’t mean that these upstarts cannot help out your brackets.

The key to winning bracket pools is always having the perfect mix of top seeds advancing deep into the tournament and just enough upsets to tip the scales. In the past, schools like Gonzaga, UMBC and Siena have made runs during the NCAA Tournament.

MORE: Printable 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket to fill out for March Madness

However, 2026 has seen newcomers such as Queens (NC) and California Baptist are hopeful that they can make a dent in a jam-packed field of 68 elite schools.

Duke Blue Devils guard Nikolas Khamenia and Cameron Boozer celebrate against the Virginia Cavaliers during the men’s ACC Conference Tournament Championship. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Below are 7 college basketball teams that could help win your brackets during 2026 March Madness.

Vanderbilt Commodores

The SEC Tournament presented several big upsets, but Vanderbilt’s form heading into the tournament shows they are a massive threat. Big wins over Tennessee and Florida put the Commodores into the SEC Championship Game.

Meanwhile, Vanderbilt has posted five wins over ranked opponents through the year. The Commodores also rank 10th in points per game, which speaks volumes considering their conference opposition.

Northern Iowa Panthers

The Panthers might be the biggest non-Power 5 conference threat this season based on how stifling Northern Iowa is on defense. During the 2025-26 season, Northern Iowa ranks first in the nation with 62.1 points per game allowed.

That mark tops elite programs like Duke, Houston and UConn, who are all ranked top 10 heading into the NCAA Tournament.

VCU Rams

VCU hasn’t been a stranger to the Cinderella storyline during March Madness before, and this year’s team is about as hot as any team in the country. The Rams have won 15 of their last 16 matchups and are in a position to win the Atlantic 10 final against Dayton.

McNeese State Cowboys

This season, McNeese is only allowing 67 points per game while largely dominating the Southland Conference. The Cowboys didn’t lose any home games during the 2025-26 season and they’re riding a 10-game win streak heading into the NCAA Tournament.

Northern Iowa Panthers guard Ben Schwieger and Tristan Smith wrestle for position with UIC Flames forward Abdul Momoh. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Saint Mary’s Gaels

St. Mary’s has become a regular in the NCAA Tournament over the years, but doesn’t get the same respect as their conference foes Gonzaga. However, the Gaels boast a roster that knocked off the Bulldogs just two weeks ago.

The California-based program is always a threat from three-point range and can stay in games with their up-tempo offensive sets.

Utah State Aggies

The Mountain West champions are no stranger to the NCAA Tournament. However, the current Aggies team has become a legitimate dark-horse candidate with its 30th ranking in KenPom.

The Aggies are now March Madness bound for the fourth straight season as well, which makes them extremely dangerous.

Villanova Wildcats

Kevin Willard’s first season with Villanova has the Big East program back in contention heading into March. Even though the Wildcats don’t boast the talent that they have been familiar with from their days with Jay Wright, Villanova can still make noise early in the tournament after playing teams like St. John’s and UConn tough.

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The post 7 college basketball underdogs that will win 2026 March Madness brackets appeared first on The Big Lead.

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