Cal Poly Mustangs
Record: 14-19
Head coach: Joe Callero (5th season)
Season summary: Don't hate on the Mustangs for not deserving a spot in the Big Dance. They've already pulled a few major upsets to reach this point, defeating No. 1 seed UC Irvine and No. 2 seed UC Santa Barbara in the Big West tournament just for the right to play Texas Southern in the First Four. Winners of four straight games, the Mustangs are led by 6-foot-7 forward Chris Eversley, who averages 13.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. Don't look for Cal Poly to win a shootout—the Mustangs average 63.2 points per game—placing them 327th in the nation—and rank 319th in field goal percentage at 41.0 percent.
How they make a run: Cal Poly improves on the 37th-best scoring defense in the country—it allows just 63.6 points per game—as Wichita State's bus breaks down on the way to the arena.
How they falter: The expected happens and the clock strikes midnight on Cal Poly's Cinderella dreams before the Mustangs can even begin to enjoy the party.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.