10 Teams Built to Bust Brackets in the 2019 NCAA Tournament

Beware the dreaded bracket buster.

When you're filling out a bracket, it's easy to circle a couple of No. 12 seeds in hopes of hitting on an upset. It's a bit harder to identify which low-seeded team will make some real noise and advance to the second weekend of the tournament.

Whether it's a mid-major team that deserves more attention or a battle-tested, middle-of-the-road major conference team built for tournament success, the following 10 teams are worth a closer look.

For each team, we've highlighted their star player, broken down their best games of the season and given a quick overview of what to expect from them come tournament time.

Star Player: Kira Lewis Jr. is the youngest player on any Division 1 roster. The 6'3" guard won't turn 18 until April 6, yet he leads the Crimson Tide in scoring (14.2 PPG) and assists (2.9 APG) while shooting a solid 37.4 percent from beyond the arc. He's also surging, having raised his averages to 16.2 points and 3.5 assists per game in his last six games.

Best Team Performance: Alabama has home wins over Kentucky (NET: 5), Mississippi State (NET: 26) and Ole Miss (NET: 37) on its resume. However, the Crimson Tide's most impressive performance might have come in a loss to Tennessee (NET: 8) on the road. They overcame a 12-point halftime deficit to lead for much of the second half before eventually falling 71-68. Sophomore John Petty equaled a career-high with 30 points in the loss.

March Madness Outlook: The latest Bracket Matrix, which was updated following play on Saturday, has Alabama in with an at-large bid as a 12 seed. The Tide have proven they can run with the top dogs in the SEC this season, and they could be an intriguing upset pick in a No. 5 vs. No. 12 matchup. Unlike a lot of the teams to follow on this list, they don't lean heavily on one player to shoulder the offensive load, which makes them less susceptible to an off night.

Star Player: Senior guard Dylan Windler is averaging a double-double on the season, as he ranks third in the Ohio Valley Conference in scoring (20.7 PPG) and first in rebounds (10.2) while shooting 41 percent from beyond the arc. He's up to 22.5 points, 10.9 rebounds and 45.5 percent from three in conference play. He's one of the best mid-major players in the country, and he also has a talented sidekick in fellow senior Kevin McClain (16.1 PPG).

Best Team Performance: The Bruins played a tough non-conference schedule and picked up wins against UCLA and Western Kentucky. They also played a formidable Purdue team tough on the road in a 73-62 loss. But Belmont's best showing is undoubtedly a 79-66 victory over conference rival Murray State on the road. It's the only time the two teams will match up this year during the regular season, which made it all the more important. Morant scored a team-high 20 points for the Racers in that one but shot just 5-of-19 from the floor as he was slowed by an ankle injury.

March Madness Outlook: Belmont will first need to take care of business in the OVC tournament, where it will face a tough test from Murray State and Morant. Both teams are candidates for an at-large bid if they don't come out on top, but it's best to take things out of the committee's hands. Provided they do make the dance, the Bruins are a well-balanced team that shoots the three extremely well, has some good size in the rotation and will benefit from solid senior leadership. There's second-weekend upside here.

Star Player: Jarron Cumberland is the prolific scorer that Cincinnati—which typically leans on a stout defense—has been lacking in recent seasons. The junior guard is averaging 18.8 points per game and shooting 42.7 percent from beyond the arc. He's stepped his scoring up to 20.7 points per contest in conference play, including a season-high 34 points against South Florida back in January, and will be looking to stay hot down the stretch.

Best Team Performance: A four-point road win over Temple (NET: 50) is the best on the Bearcats' resume. They rallied from a 14-point deficit to secure a 72-68 win, with Cumberland racking up 25 points and eight rebounds in 38 minutes of action. They also played Houston (NET: 4) tough for most of the game in a 65-58 loss on the road, leading 58-57 with 6:11 to play before the offense was stifled the rest of the way.

March Madness Outlook: Even with a go-to scorer, Cincinnati is a defensive-minded team. It's holding opponents to a stingy 61.5 points per game—11th in the nation—and currently ranks in the top 50 in KenPom's adjusted offense and adjusted defense. The Bearcats are projected for a No. 7 seed in the Bracket Matrix, putting them on course to slow an offensive-minded No. 2 seed in the second round.

Star Player: Senior Justin Wright-Foreman is the headliner of a Hofstra attack that checks in at 17th in KenPom's adjusted offensive efficiency and scores 84.2 points per contest. The 6'3" guard ranks third in the nation in scoring at 26.3 points per game, and he's connected on 93 three-pointers at an impressive 43.3 percent clip. He's up to 28.1 points and 46.9 percent from three in conference play.

Best Team Performance: The Pride don't have a signature win, and the rest of their schedule in the Colonial Athletic Conference won't allow them to add one. However, they did play a good VCU (NET: 34) squad down to the wire on the road back in November. Wright-Foreman went for 27 points in a 69-67 overtime loss.

March Madness Outlook: Hofstra probably isn't going to make a lengthy tournament run, but a high-powered offense is enough to make it an intriguing upset pick in the opening round. If the Pride come out hot from the floor, they could send a quality opponent packing.

Star Player: Lipscomb guard Garrison Mathews is the leading scorer in the Atlantic Sun Conference at 19.4 points per game. The 6'5" senior is also pulling down 5.2 rebounds per game while shooting 40.2 percent from deep. He's a proven scorer with a pair of 20-points-per-game seasons under his belt heading into this season, and he's gone off for more than 30 twice already this year.

Best Team Performance: An early 73-64 victory over TCU (NET: 41) on Nov. 20 remains the best win on Lipscomb's resume, but it's proven capable running with the big dogs more than once. The Bisons lost to Louisville (NET: 22) on the road by four in December, and they've lost two games to a good Belmont team by a combined six points. They also have an impressive 25-point win over a potential tournament team in Vermont (NET: 83).

March Madness Outlook: Bubble teams around the country will be hoping the Bisons can take care of business in the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament. Otherwise, there's a good chance they'll steal an at-large bid. The Bisons are a good defensive squad, they're battle-tested against quality opponents, and they have an experienced roster with five seniors and two juniors in the regular rotation. That's enough to think they can cause some problems as a No. 12 seed.

Star Player: A four-year starter and one of the nation's best two-way threats, Jordan Murphy will go down as one of the best players in Minnesota basketball history. He's already the school's all-time leading rebounder (1,239), and he's worked his way up to No. 6 on the scoring list (1,699) while also checking in at ninth in blocks (124). He's averaging 14.9 points and 11.8 rebounds on the season.

Best Team Performance: A two-point, neutral-site win over Washington (NET: 29) back on Nov. 21 has looked better and better as the season has progressed, and the Huskies have emerged as the cream of the Pac-12 crop. They also have wins over Wisconsin (NET: 13) and Iowa (NET: 30), and they lost by just two to Michigan (NET: 7) on the road in January.

March Madness Outlook: With 19 double-doubles in 28 games, Murphy is as consistent as they come. He's going to get his. It's the rest of the roster—namely junior Amir Coffey (14.7 PPG) and freshmen Daniel Oturu (11.4 PPG, 7.3 RPG) and Gabe Kalscheur (10.7 PPG, 42.2% 3PT)—that will determine how far this team goes. They've taken their licks in a stacked Big Ten and kept their head above water, so don't count them out for a second-round upset.

Star Player: A transfer from San Jose State who sat out last season, Terrell Brown has helped New Mexico State overcome the loss of leading scorer Zach Lofton (20.1 PPG) from a team that won 28 games a year ago. Brown, a 6'1" guard, is averaging 11.2 points per game while shooting 39.4 percent from long distance. He's one of five Aggies averaging at least eight points in a well-balanced offensive attack.

Best Team Performance: If there is in such a thing as a good loss, the Aggies had one when they went into Kansas and lost to the Jayhawks (NET: 20) by just three points. They also went 4-0 against Grand Canyon (NET: 79) and Utah Valley (NET: 100), who are their two biggest competitors this season in the Western Athletic Conference. 

March Madness Outlook: The Aggies have won 13 straight since losing their conference opener to California Baptist on Jan. 3. Sure, their best wins during that span were over Grand Canyon and Utah Valley, but there's something to be said for momentum going into March. The 2017-18 squad lost to Clemson by 11 points as a No. 12 seed, and New Mexico State should be seeded similarly this year.

Star Player: A well-balanced NC State offense has six players who average at least eight points per game. The team's leading scorer is Torin Dorn (13.9 PPG), but UNC-Wilmington transfer C.J. Bryce (12.1 PPG) has led the way during the ACC portion of the schedule. Considering he averaged 17.4 points per game as a sophomore prior to transferring, it's no surprise. He's been the Wolfpack's leading scorer during conference play, with 12.9 points per game on 39.0 percent shooting from beyond the arc.

Best Team Performance: A home win over Auburn (NET: 23) back on Dec. 19 looked better at the time, as the Tigers were ranked No. 7 in the AP poll. It's still the best win on a resume that also includes victories over likely tournament teams in Clemson (NET: 43) and Syracuse (NET: 44). That said, a one-point loss to Virginia (NET: 2) on Jan. 29 was the team's best all-around performance of the year, as it pushed a likely No. 1 seed to overtime while forcing 15 turnovers.

March Madness Outlook: The only bad loss on the Wolfpack's resume is a four-point defeat on the road to Wake Forest (NET: 192). This is a good team, and one with a favorable schedule to close out the regular season, with games against Georgia Tech and Boston College still left on the slate. There's a good chance the Wolfpack will be underseeded as a No. 9 or 10 seed unless they make some noise in the ACC tournament, and that could position them perfectly for an upset.

Star Player: Marcus Evans came to VCU as a proven scorer after averaging 20.1 points per game in two seasons at Rice. He's made a smooth transition to tougher competition, leading VCU in points (13.7 PPG), assists (3.2 APG) and steals (1.9 SPG). He's not much of a three-point shooter (26.2 percent on 122 attempts), but he can score in bunches off the dribble. Evans had a season-high 25 points against George Washington on Saturday.

Best Team Performance: A neutral-site win over Temple (NET: 50) and a road victory against Texas (NET: 35) are the Rams' best wins, along with the aforementioned defeat of another potential upset-minded team in Hofstra. They also lost by just one to a potential tournament team in St. John's (NET: 47) in overtime on a neutral court and hung around in a road game at Virginia (NET: 2) that they lost by eight.

March Madness Outlook: An 18-15 showing last season snapped a run of seven straight years in the NCAA tournament for the Rams. They're the class of the Atlantic 10 this year and should have a shot to get in with an at-large bid even if they don't win their conference tournament. Their stifling defense gives them a chance to beat anyone if they play within themselves. VCU currently ranks fourth in KenPom's adjusted defensive efficiency, and it's allowing just 61.7 points per game. With the right matchups, this could easily be a second-weekend team.

Star Player: Fletcher Magee can flat-out shoot. He's averaging 10.9 three-point attempts per game and knocking down the deep ball at a 41.4 percent clip. In other words, he's an efficient volume shooter. The senior guard is averaging 20.2 points per game, and he's also a 92.3 percent free-throw shooter. The reigning SoCon Player of the Year could be one of the breakout stars of the 2019 NCAA tournament.

Best Team Performance: There's a small chance the SoCon could be a three-bid league this year, with Furman and UNC-Greensboro also putting together compelling tournament resumes. A lot will have to break right for that to happen, but the point is the Terriers are thriving in a league that's not the cupcake some might think. With two wins against Furman (NET: 48), two against UNC-Greensboro (NET: 61) and two against Eastern Tennessee State (NET: 67) they've won the games that matter. And there aren't any bad losses among their four defeats: Kansas, North Carolina, Mississippi State and Oklahoma.

March Madness Outlook: Wofford could very well play in a No. 8 vs. No. 9 game, which would make it a scary potential second-round draw for some unlucky No. 1 seed. If any team is going to make a Loyola-Chicago run this year, the smart money would be on the Terriers. They're second in the nation in three-point percentage (41.5 percent) and fifth in made threes (310), and they rank 10th in KenPom's adjusted offensive efficiency. They're outscoring opponents by more than 17 points per game, and they're led by two seniors and a junior. All of this bodes well in March.

All stats courtesy of Sports Reference, unless otherwise noted. NET rankings courtesy of NCAA.org and accurate through Feb 23.