5 Religiously-Affiliated Schools That Could Bust Your March Madness Brackets
NEW YORK – The best week in sports is upon us once again.
The men’s NCAA basket tournament — a time known as “March Madness” — brings with it office pools and, very often, plenty of surprises.
In fact, there are always a handful of bracket-busting upsets each year during the 68-team tournament. This March will be no different.
The SEC won Selection Sunday with a record 14 of 16 teams making the tournament. The Big Ten was next conference with the most teams with eight, followed by the Big 12 with seven.
No. 1 seed Florida, who won the SEC tournament by winning its three games with an average margin of 15 points, opens as a slight favorite to reach the Final Four in San Antonio and win it all, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
It’s a long road to the championship game and a lot will happen between now and April 7. Here are five religiously-affiliated schools that could turn into Cinderella teams and pull off some upsets over the next few weeks:
No. 8 Gonzaga (vs. No. 9 Georgia)
The Jesuit named after the young Catholic saint Aloysius Gonzaga has become a basketball powerhouse over the past few decades. Founded in 1907, the Zags are based in Spokane, Wash., and have been a consistent tournament contender since the 1990s. In fact, the Bulldogs have been transformed into a national juggernaut, regularly competing for titles.
Gonzaga have won numerous conference championships and have been a fixture at the Big Dance, consistently advancing to the later rounds. Gonzaga’s first Final Four appearance came in 2017, solidifying their place among college basketball’s elite. This season, however, Gonzaga hasn't resembled a legitimate title contender. Nonetheless, they are a 58% two-point shooting team and have one of the best defenses in the nation.
No. 7 Saint Mary’s (vs. No. 10 Vanderbilt)
For a fourth consecutive year, the Gaels are heading to the tournament. Established in 1863, the California-based college is administered by the De La Salle Brothers. Over the years, St. Mary's has been a consistent contender in the West Coast Conference and has built a solid basketball program known for its disciplined style of play and strong coaching.
In 2010, Saint Mary’s reached the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in program history. This season, the team secured a seventh seed after the Gaels won the WCC regular season title for a third consecutive year with a 17-1 conference record. Named WCC Player of the Year, point guard Augustas Marciulionis could become a household name over the coming days. Another Sweet Sixteen appearance isn’t put of the question this year if their defense can hold up.
No. 9 Baylor (vs. No. 8 Mississippi State)
Competing in the Big 12 Conference, the private Baptist school has experienced significant success in recent years. The team won the national championship in 2021 for the first – and only – time.
With a 19-14 record this season, the Bears were a bubble team heading into the tournament. Now in, they are eyeing at least a berth to the second round, but have the players (freshman VJ Edgecombe is a potential NBA Draft pick) to go deeper. A top-4 seed in each of the four previous NCAA Tournaments, Baylor has what it takes to surprise a few teams this year.
No. 12 Liberty University (vs. No. 5 Oregon)
The 12-5 matchup has been a notoriously dangerous contest for the higher-ranked team. That’s where Liberty finds itself against Oregon, a potential upset in the making.
The private evangelical Christian college based in Virginia has become stronger since joining Conference USA in 2023. While Liberty is not historically as well-known as some larger basketball programs, it has had several strong years, especially in recent seasons. The Flames have been on fire and made national headlines in 2019 with a shock first-round win against Mississippi State.
No. 9 Creighton (vs. No. 8 Louisville)
Creighton is the third Catholic school to make the list. The Bluejays have a rich basketball history. Competing in the Big East Conference, the Jesuit school has consistently been a strong program, with a blend of high-scoring offense and solid defense. They’ve made numerous NCAA Tournament appearances, with the most notable being a run to the Elite Eight in 2021, marking one of their deepest tournament runs in history.
Creighton, based in Omaha, Neb., has reached the Sweet Sixteen four times (1974, 1980, 2014 and 2021), and have established themselves as a perennial contender. Their performance in the Big East (they lost in the conference final to St. John’s) has enhanced their visibility. Look for them to be seen at this tournament.
Clemente Lisi is the executive editor of Religion Unplugged.