March Madness South Region: Dark Horse, Cinderella, & Winner

South Region Best Bet: #7 Florida (+1500)

Florida has a very favorable draw. The first-round matchup against either Colorado or Boise State could be tricky, but we expect them to handle business there as the favorite.

A hypothetical second-round matchup against an injured Marquette team that has struggled in the postseason under Shaka Smart could have some upset potential.

Should they get to the second weekend, Texas Tech or Kentucky are teams with limitations that the Gators could easily hang with.

It would take a mammoth effort to knock off Houston if they met in the Elite Eight, but we really like the price and draw for Florida here.

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South Region Favorite: #1 Houston (+145)

The Cougars are one of the least-discussed #1 seeds we can remember. They were on an incredible run since falling to Kansas on the road at the start of February, ripping off 11 consecutive wins and finding their way to the Big 12 Tournament title game. 

Iowa State beat Houston worse than anybody's wildest comprehension, a 69-41 drubbing that may leave some concerned ahead of the big dance. They remain a hefty favorite to represent the South, partially because of a stout defense spearheaded by Jamal Shead, who was awarded Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. And with a 9-3 record across the past three NCAA Tournaments, Kelvin Sampson is one of the last head coaches you want to be fading in March. 

This Cougars team is as complete as it gets, and they are rightfully the strong favorite to reach Phoenix out of this quadrant of the bracket.

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South Region Dark Horse: #7 Florida (+1500)

The Gators have quietly been one of the better teams down the stretch this season. Two wins over Alabama and victories over Kentucky and Auburn just scratch the surface. What they have done in the last six weeks and their run to the SEC Championship game was impressive. 

Florida's one-two duo of guards Walter Clayton Jr. and Zyon Pullin might be the second-best backcourt pairing in the entire region. Seton Hall transfer Tyrese Samuel does well to hold things down in the frontcourt as well. The starting lineup has a boatload of experience, and the Gators have the draw to make a deep run. More on that later.

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South Region Cinderella: #10 Colorado (+3500)

While it's hard to consider a Power 6 program a Cinderella, we will let Colorado slide since they are a double-digit seed. The Buffs have gotten a key piece back in freshman stud Cody Williams, who has been coming off the bench since his return to the rotation. It's possible that was simply a precaution, and he could return to the starting lineup in the First Four on Wednesday night. 

KJ Simpson is the elite, veteran guard who orchestrates this offense. The junior averages nearly 20 points per game on the season and even finds a way to snatch 5.7 rebounds and dish out 4.9 assists per contest. With both Tristan da Silva and Eddie Lampkin manning the paint as a good balance of finesse and brute, there is a good construction to this team that is finally coming together over the past month.

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South Region Best Bet: #7 Florida (+1500)

Florida has a very favorable draw. The first-round matchup against either Colorado or Boise State could be tricky, but we expect them to handle business there as the favorite.

A hypothetical second-round matchup against an injured Marquette team that has struggled in the postseason under Shaka Smart could have some upset potential.

Should they get to the second weekend, Texas Tech or Kentucky are teams with limitations that the Gators could easily hang with.

It would take a mammoth effort to knock off Houston if they met in the Elite Eight, but we really like the price and draw for Florida here.

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