Each season, I chronical potential March Madness Cinderella Stories by writing two articles that detail teams across that could become a feel-good story come March.  The first article is written around the midpoint of the season (late January/early February) and the second is published  just as the conference tournaments begin.  Here is the first of those two annual editions.

While almost all mid-major college basketball teams have the chance to play Cinderella come Christmas Day (aka the first round of the NCAA tourney), it is particularly special when these teams have an inspiring sentimental storyline.  Often times this involves a squad making its first trip to the Big Dance (see Northern Colorado in 2011).  Other times there is a likable coach who warms the hearts of the nation (see Pete Carril in 1994, Andy Enfeld in 2012).  Inevitably, when the second week of March comes around, these stories will come to fruition.  In the meantime, it’s worth looking at the standings and checking out which mid-major conference leaders/contenders and other probable NCAA Tournament teams could inspire us during the first few weeks of March. 

It is worth noting that I have a pretty good track record of identifying potential March Madness Cinderella Stories. For instance, I chronicled Loyola-Chicago in my early edition of this article in 2018, almost two months before the world discovered Sister Jean and the Ramblers. In 2022, I wrote about the FAU Owls in this article, well before their Cinderella march to the Final Four. And then last year, I talked about Nebraska in both editions of my Cinderella articles before they went and made history by winning their first NCAA tourney game in school history. So without further ado, here is my early list of potential Cinderella teams in 2025. Only schools currently in first or second place of their respective conferences or squads currently in the hunt for an NCAA tourney at-large bid will be included in this column.  They are listed in alphabetical order by conference.

Jacksonville (Atlantic Sun)– This once prominent program was home to the great Artis Gilmore, who led the Dolphins to the 1970 national title game and still holds the NCAA career rebounding record. Jacksonville hasn’t danced since I was an infant (1986), but they find currently themselves tied atop the ASun standings halfway through league play.

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Maine (America East)– Cooper Flagg isn’t the only thing out of the state of Maine worth talking about this basketball season. The Black Bears, who are still searching for their first NCAA tournament bid in school history after playing 79 years of Division 1 college basketball, are currently alone in second place in the America East standings with a 6-1 mark in conference place.

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Saint Louis (Atlantic 10)– Last year, the NCAA tournament committee snubbed “Cream Abdul-Jabar” and Indiana State from an NCAA tournament at-large selection and denied fans a great March Madness story. Now, Robbie Avila (pictured below) and his head coach Josh Schertz have both relocated to Saint Louis University, where they once again find themselves on the doorstep of an NCAA tournament bid. Currently, the Billikens are tied for second place at 6-2 in the Atlantic 10 standings.

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High Point (Big South)– Neither the great Tubby Smith or his son G.G. were able to guide this university to their first-ever NCAA tournament. Both Smiths have since left town and second year coach Alan Huss, who has worked himself up from the high school ranks (starting at Culver Military Academy in 2007), has the Panthers on the brink of an NCAA tournament bid for the second consecutive season, as HPU currently stands alone in second place in the Big South standings. Last year, the Panthers fell just short of a bid, but could this be the year that High Point finally goes dancing? 

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UC San Diego (Big West)– UCSD has only been eligible for the Big Dance for four seasons, but nevertheless, there has never been a Division 1 NCAA tournament that has featured any team called the Tritons before (great mascot)! That could all change in 2025 as currently this team finds itself in second place in a loaded Big West conference this season.

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Towson (CAA)– Pat Skerry (pictured below) has had the Towson Tigers on the verge of an NCAA tourney bid for quite a while now, but they have just been unable to breakthrough. This may finally be the season this program ends its 34 year NCAA tourney drought (last bid was 1991), as the Tigers stand atop the CAA standings currently with an 8-1 record in conference play.

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William & Mary (CAA)– There are few droughts in all of sports that are longer than the one that Army, the Citadel, and William & Mary all are experiencing. What drought is that you may ask? The answer would be that these are the last three schools that have played Division 1 college basketball since the NCAA tournament began in 1939 and have never made it to the Big Dance. Interestingly enough, two of these three schools are featured in this article as both the Tribe and Black Knights find themselves near the top of their respective conference standings (tied for second) for the first time in a while. Could this be the year that one or both of these programs finally earns a ticket to the dance?

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Marist (MAAC)– The Metro Atlantic is full of potential Cinderella stories this year as all three teams tied for first place at 8-1 are all trying to end lengthy tourney droughts and/or go dancing for the first time. The Red Foxes of Marist haven’t been to the tourney since 1987, whereas Quinnipiac and Merrimack are both Big Dance virgins.

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Quinnipiac (MAAC)– see Marist comment above

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Merrimack (MAAC)– see Marist comment above

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Toledo (MAC)– We have been certainly been down this road before. Every year when I write this column, I am always shocked to see that the Rockets still haven’t played in an NCAA tournament since 1980. This university always seems to field very good teams that fall short of their conference tourney crown every March. In fact, in each of the past FOUR seasons, Toledo has been # 1 seed in the MAC tourney and has been upset in each of those brackets. This season, the Rockets once again find themselves near the top of the league standings. Will this be the year the Rockets finally launch themselves into the Dance?

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Fairleigh Dickinson Knights (Northeast)– Unlike most of the teams on this list, FDU is not trying to end a lengthy tourney drought, as they went to the NCAA tournament as recently as 2023. However, keep in mind what happened the last time the Knights went dancing. They not only won their First Four matchup against Texas Southern, but they subsequently shocked the world and knocked off Purdue in the second-ever 16 over 1 NCAA tourney upset. The other school that pulled off that feat is of course UMBC, who has not returned to the NCAA tourney since their monumental upset over Virginia in 2018. Therefore, if FDU puts on dancing shoes this March, it will be the first-time ever that a school who pulled off a 16 over 1 shocker returns to the NCAA tournament! Right now, the Knights are tied for first place in the loss column atop the Northeast Conference standings.

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SIU Edwardsville (Ohio Valley)– The Cougars have never danced in the 14 years they have been eligible to do so as a full-fledged NCAA Division 1 institution. However, that could change in 2025, as SIUE is currently locked in a tie for second place in the OVC standings.

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Army (Patriot)– See William & Mary entry above

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Houston Christian (Southland)- McNeese State seems to have the Southland Conference automatic tourney bid on lockdown as they have started off 10-0 in league play. With that being said, if the Cowboys were to somehow stumble in the conference tournament, then the Huskies of Houston Christian, who are currently tied for second place in the Southland, could be in a perfect position to breakthrough and end their program’s 41 year NCAA tournament drought!

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Omaha (Summit)– The Mavericks have never put on dancing shoes before, yet they currently stand alone atop the Summit League standings amongst tourney eligible teams (co-leader St. Thomas is still in NCAA transitional status and is not eligible for an NCAA tourney bid).

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Arkansas State (Sun Belt)– The Red Wolves have not danced this century/millennium, with their last bid coming in 1999, but this program appears to have turned the corner in this season. For not only does Arkansas State currently stand alone atop the Sun Belt standings with an 8-2 conference mark, but they also beat a sure-fire NCAA tournament team in Memphis back in December by double-digits on the road!

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Utah Valley (WAC)– It is hard to believe that the Wolverines from Orem have not earned an NCAA tournament bid yet, given how much success this program had under both current Kentucky coach Mark Pope and then current California coach Mark Madsen. In fact, Utah Valley has finished first or second in the WAC regular season standings in five of their ten seasons in the league! This year, they are in prime position to finally earn a trip to the dance, as they stand alone atop the league standings with a perfect 7-0 record.