NCAA Tournament Bracket Predictions 2017: Top Upset Picks

No. 12 Princeton


Opponent: Notre Dame


Beware the Ivy League. Over the last seven NCAA tournaments, the smart guys have gone 4-3 in the Round of 64. Three of the wins were by 12 seeds (2016 Yale, '14 Harvard and '10 Cornell) and one was by a 14 seed ('13 Harvard), while the 2015 Harvard team (13 seed) and 2011 Princeton squad (13 seed) each lost by just two points to a couple of pretty decent programs: North Carolina and Kentucky, respectively. The worst loss over that span was by the 2012 Harvard squad (12 seed), who fell to Vanderbilt by nine.

This has annually been a really good league for quite some time now, and for Princeton to go undefeated during the regular season and win the inaugural tournament despite a format that didn't truly benefit the champs is a testament to what the Tigers bring to the table.

They take care of the ball (12th in turnover percentage), they can shoot the 3 (four players average at least one make per game, while Devin Cannady is one of the best shooters in the country), they protect the glass (12th in defensive rebounding percentage), and they defend really well (45th in Ken Pomeroy's defensive efficiency). Notre Dame can be dangerous, but if they aren't knocking down threes, they become vulnerable. (Getty)