The Ohio Bobcats stunned many a bracketologist when they upset the heavily favored Akron Zips in the final of the MAC tournament. The Zips are relegated to the NIT, while the 27-7 Bobcats will face fourth-seeded Michigan as the Midwest region's No. 13 seed.
The Bobcats didn't beat any non-conference foes of particular note — they beat Lamar, who will be in the tournament as well, and Northern Iowa, an NIT team — but blew out Akron on Feb. 26 before beating them again a few weeks later in the MAC final. They also lost by just five points to the then-No. 7 Louisville Cardinals, displaying the ability to compete with elite teams.
D.J. Cooper is the dynamic point guard who is the engine of this team. He leads the team in points, assists and steals with 14.6, 5.7 and 2.4, respectively, functioning as the general of the team, which averages a hair over 70 points a game. He's going to need to have a monster game against Michigan point Trey Burke if the Bobcats want to pull off the upset.
Join our 2012 NCAA Bracket pool to compete against the best and brightest from around the network.
For more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, stay with SB Nation's Selection Sunday StoryStream, and stick around SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub for a complete printable NCAA Tournament bracket and tons of analysis on who was snubbed, who got the best bracket, and who will make it all the way to New Orleans and the Final Four.