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NCAA Tournament Bracket Predictions 2017: Top Upset Picks

No. 12 UNC Wilmington


Opponent: Virginia


You may remember that 13-seeded UNC Wilmington gave Duke all it could handle last year before ultimately running out of gas late in the second half. Well, this year's team is even better.

Guards CJ Bryce, Chris Flemmings and Denzel Ingram, who were are crucial to last year's success, are still there, while Davontae Cacok--who was lightly used last year--has developed into an efficiency stud on the interior. The 6-foot-7, 240-pound sophomore ranks first in the country in effective field-goal percentage, first in true shooting percentage, 27th in offensive rebounding percentage and 13th in defensive rebounding percentage.

Put it all together, and you have a team that ranks 18th in Ken Pomeroy's adjusted offensive efficiency rankings, 25th in effective field-goal percentage, fifth in points per possession, and perhaps most importantly, second in turnover percentage, giving away the ball on just 13.9 percent of their possessions.

Virginia is a really tough first-round matchup because they are so disciplined, but they've been susceptible at times this season, and the Seahawks' talented, experienced guard-play plus efficient offensive attack is the perfect weapon to counter the Cavaliers' pack-line defense. (Getty)

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