Bracket-busters and mid-majors you need to know come March

One of the fun parts of the college basketball postseason is trying to figure out who the next Cinderella team — or teams — will be, come March: that low seed with nothing to lose or a mid-major squad that has been building up to something great.

Who will be the next George Mason, UMBC or Loyola-Chicago to make a memorable run through the NCAA Tournament? That's not always easy to predict, but let's have a go at it.

Here are 10 schools, should they earn that coveted invite to the 2019 Big Dance, that might be capable of pulling off an upset or two — or even completely blow up a bracket.

Buffalo
It's not like the Bulls are an unknown commodity, considering they have been ranked most of the season and upset Arizona in last year's NCAA Tournament. That experience and confidence should not be understated, especially with CJ Massinburg, Nick Perkins, Jeremy Harris and Davonta Jordan all back from the team that stunned the Wildcats. Victories at Syracuse and West Virginia are examples of the danger this team should present come March. The Bulls have probably done enough to make the Big Dance even if they don't win the Mid-American Conference Tournament.

Belmont
At the moment, the Bruins find themselves in a battle with Murray State for the top spot in the Ohio Valley Conference. It would be a stretch to think two schools from that league would earn NCAA Tournament bids, so it should come down to the conference tournament. Belmont has not been to the NCAAs since 2015, but it's posted nine straight seasons of at least 20 wins and ranks among the top 10 nationally in scoring and field-goal percentage.

Hofstra
Armed with one of the nation's top scorers in Justin Wright-Foreman, Hofstra has won at least 20 games for the first time in three seasons. The Pride, who currently lead the Colonial Athletic Association, have not been to the NCAA Tournament since 2001. They average more than 83 points per contest, and if they are to get hot shooting the basketball, then it could be a long day for their higher-seeded opponent.  

Loyola-Chicago
Now, there's no guarantee last year's darlings of the Big Dance will get in. The Ramblers have hit a minor rough patch, but they should still be considered favorites to win the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament simply because stars like Marques Townes, Clayton Custer and Cameron Krutwig know what needs to be done to make things happen in March. There's also the presence of Sister Jean to guide the Ramblers on another deep NCAA Tournament run.

Murray State
As mentioned, the Ohio Valley likely won't get two teams into the NCAA Tournament field. The Racers lost at home to Belmont last month, so reaching the NCAAs for a second consecutive season might not be easy. But it's possible the selection committee has its eye on Murray State as an at-large team because of star guard Ja Morant. The nation's top assist man also scored 38 at Alabama and 25 vs. Auburn earlier this season.  

New Mexico State
It's ho-hum for the Aggies, who have recorded an eighth consecutive 20-win season and appear to be headed to their seventh NCAA Tournament in eight years. Now New Mexico State has not won a game in any of those NCAA appearances, but it's beat Washington State twice this season, won at New Mexico and lost at Kansas by three points. The Aggies are also one of the top defending teams in the nation, holding opponents to fewer than 66 points her contest.

Utah State
Nevada is obviously the class of the Mountain West Conference, and there's a good chance it will be the only team from the league to make the NCAAs. But if there's a dark horse in the running, it might be Utah State. The Aggies have won 20 games for the first time since 2012-13 and are among the top defensive teams in terms of effective field-goal percentage. Junior guard Sam Merrill, meanwhile, averages 20 points and recently dropped 35 at San Diego State.

Vermont
The Catamounts are in the midst of their 11th consecutive 20-win season and have an eye on returning to the NCAA Tournament after missing out last year. It's been 14 years since Vermont stunned Syracuse in the Big Dance, and the selection committee could pit John Becker's group against a No. 3 or 4 seed ripe for an upset. Averaging more than 21 points, junior forward Anthony Lamb is a name to remember.

VCU
It's just like old times — well, maybe more like recent times. The point is that after its string of seven straight NCAA Tournament appearances ended in 2018, VCU basketball looks to be back on track. The Rams are playing well at the moment while in the mix for the Atlantic 10 title with Davidson. If they are to make it into the field, there's always reason to believe they can pull off an early-round upset. Their impressive run to the Final Four in 2011 won't be forgotten, so there's tradition within the program and enough to put a scare into any postseason opponent.

Wofford
One of the best three-point shooting teams in the nation, the Terriers have already wrapped up the Southern Conference regular-season title and entered this week riding a school-record, 14-game winning streak. They are 23-4 with losses against North Carolina, Oklahoma, Kansas and Mississippi State. Paced by the potent trio of Fletcher Magee, Cameron Jackson and Nathan Hoover, Wofford could be the highest-seeded mid-major not named Gonzaga in the NCAA Tournament field. Furman, which will host the Terriers this weekend, should be the biggest threat to their NCAA hopes. At the moment, though, Wofford looks like a team capable of pulling off an upset in the Big Dance.