Three double-digit seeds that could wreck your March Madness bracket

Every March Madness, the same little fantasy spreads across the country. Fans convince themselves that this will be the year their bracket survives the first round. Often, it doesn't. Someone always gets blindsided by a team they barely noticed on Selection Sunday.

Double-digit seeds make a living doing exactly that. One hot shooting stretch, one favorite that tightens up, and suddenly, the tournament takes a hard left turn. It happens so often that people should expect it by now. And yet every year, the reaction is the same: complete disbelief.

So which double-digit seed will be the bracket-buster this year? Below are three teams who are in contention for ruining your bracket early.

Virginia Commonwealth University (11-seed)

VCU built its reputation during the 2011 tournament when, as an 11-seed team, it tore through the field and somehow ended up in the Final Four. VCU always seems to find a way into the tournament, and every year, people who remember that run choose it as a spoiler. 

Its style does not exactly promote calm, orderly basketball, either. VCU loves pressure defense and quick possessions. When the game starts feeling uncomfortable and the pace picks up, VCU tends to look right at home. Under the right circumstances, VCU could easily be a spoiler in 2026.

McNeese State (12-seed)

McNeese State is a team casual fans usually learn about during the game. They glance at the bracket, see the name and move on. Then game day comes around and the Cowboys are on every TV because the score is not what anyone expected.

The Cowboys play fast. If they get a shot early, they will take it. That style can bother teams that like to control the pace and run half-court plays.

Get into a game with the wrong underdog like McNeese State and things can fall apart quickly. One fast break turns into another, and the crowd starts cheering for the underdog. The Cowboys' fast-paced play on offense can catch any team off guard, and it would not be crazy to see them to advance to the second round.

Northern Iowa (12-seed)

Northern Iowa is known for being a team that can bust up brackets.

It stunned Kansas, the No. 1 overall seed, during the 2010 NCAA Tournament in one of the biggest upsets of that year’s bracket. The Panthers also delivered another March surprise in 2016 when they eliminated Texas as an 11-seed in the opening round.

With a tough battle against No. 5 St. John's looming, history could potentially repeat itself if Northern Iowa is victorious. If Kansas also wins in the first round against California Baptist, Northern Iowa and the Jayhawks will meet again in the second round, creating a rematch from 2010.

Brackets rarely survive for long

The bracket looks nice and neat now. Logical picks, an occasional upset and a lot of No. 1 seeds in the Final Four. Everyone feels good about their champion pick on Sunday night. Unfortunately for those well-thought brackets, a double-digit seed will catch fire and there will be an upset. It happens every year.

March never stays predictable for long.