NCAA Tournament Sleepers for 2009
Written March 17, 2009 by Jack Jones
Every year bettors, fans, and the major media outlets try to figure out who is going to be the Cinderella team. Is there going to be another George Mason or is there another Stephen Curry waiting in the wings to take a team like Davidson on a magical run? I think those are more the exception rather than the rule but it’s always fun to throw out a few sleepers and see if you can’t get lucky. Here are two teams that could have a chance to do some damage to the 2009 NCAA tournament brackets so take a look at maybe take a shot with these two teams. If you want to bet on the sleepers take a look at the BetUS where a $500 deposit will get you a $500 signup bonus.
North Dakota State – Last year the Bisons were dominating Division II ball and this year they are in the Division I NCAA Tournament. This team is no fluke as they won the Summit League title with four 5th-year seniors. That experience has translated into the Bison being one of the most efficient teams in the country with 49% shooting (good for 3rd in the nation), 41.2% 3-point shooting (fifth overall), and 80.8 points per game (good for 9th in the country). Point guard Ben Woodside does a great job of leading his team and has averaged 22.8 points and 6.3 assists per game. The team also has a force down low with Brett Winkelman and his 18.7 points going along nicely with 7.4 rebounds per game. The added edge here is that they play in Minneapolis, which is 230 miles from the NDSU campus against a Kansas team that was knocked out early in the Big 12 tournament. The Bison have played big programs tough during their seniors’ careers with wins over Wisconsin in Madison and Marquette in Milwaukee to go with some close road battles with USC and Florida.
Purdue – It seemed like the Boilermakers came out of nowhere last year when three freshman and two sophomores led this team to a Big Ten regular season title and a trip to the second round of the tournament. That youth and past success led many pundits to believe Purdue was going to be a top team this year, but they didn’t quite live up to expectations, largely due to a rash of injuries. It seems like this team is getting healthy at the right time now though and could be a 5th seed that does some damage. With my expert bracket picks I have them going to the Elite 8. One of the reasons why is that Robbie Hummel is back to full form after suffering through back problems most of the season. He played well in the Big Ten conference tournament when his 16 points and 9.3 rebounds per helped the Boilermakers win the crown. It’s hard not to be impressed with the way they tore through that tourney, with wins over Penn State, Illinois, and Ohio State. Purdue is physical and play great defense. The Boilermakers allow opponents to shoot just 38.8% and score just 59.1 points per game.
If you liked this article, you may also be interested in:
- NCAA Tournament Preview: North Dakota State vs Kansas
- 2009 Big Ten NCAA Tournament Predictions
- 2009 NCAA Tournament Odds: West Region
- NCAA Basketball Odds on Big Ten Teams To Win the Tournament
- 2009 NCAA Tournament Recap: First Two Rounds
One Response to “NCAA Tournament Sleepers for 2009”
Got something to say?
ndakota st would be a great pick if they were gonna get past kansas
Reply