Blake Hamilton's 3-point dagger with 1.8 seconds left gave Buffalo (20-14 record) a 64-61 win over Akron in the Mid-American Conference's championship game. The NCAA tourney invite caps a roller-coaster ride for Buffalo and its first-year coach Nate Oats, who replaced Bobby Hurley as head coach. Hurley, who left for Arizona State, also took the Bulls' second-team All-MAC point guard Shannon Evans and prime recruit Torian Graham with him to Tempe. More adversity hit when Justin Moss, the 2015 MAC Player of the Year, was expelled in late August. If that weren't enough, Oats is also helping his wife Crystal as she fights cancer. The Bulls overcame those obstacles to become the first back-to-back MAC tourney champs in 14 years. After scaring West Virginia last March in the NCAAs before falling 68-62, can the Bulls win a March Madness game or two this time around?
ESPN Insider has your answers, as Joe Lunardi has enlisted a team of Bracketologists to compile advanced metrics, key scouting intel and best- and worst-case tournament scenarios for all 68 teams to help you make smart picks in your bracket.