When it comes to March Madness, the seed is merely a number. In the men's college basketball tournament, No. 16 seeds can beat No. 1 seeds and double-digit seeds can make the Final Four.

It's called "Madness" for a reason.

As conference tournaments begin, there are several Power 5 teams that have failed to meet expectations, but are lurking in the Nos. 7-10-seed range. 

Here are four teams that could shake up the Big Dance, despite a disappointing regular season.

Three-peats are virtually unheard of in college basketball. Only John Wooden's UCLA teams have accomplished the feat. But it would be ill-advised to write off this UConn team despite a few bumps in the road this season. The Huskies shoot the ball well (48%, 35th in nation as of Wednesday morning) and rank 12th in adjusted offensive efficiency, according to KenPom.  

They also have a go-to player on the offensive end in freshman Liam McNeely. In a win-or-go-home tournament, teams with playmakers have the opportunity to thrive. UConn's had its fair share of heroes in Kemba Walker and Shabazz Napier. Can McNeely be that guy in 2025? 

Defense could be UConn's issue. After ranking in the top 10 of KenPom for defensive efficiency each of the past two seasons, UConn ranks 109th this season.

Something isn't right for this Jayhawks team. It's never clicked for Bill Self's bunch and they've gone from preseason No. 1 to a projected No. 7 seed in the latest Bracketology.

But the Jayhawks have weapons — if they can all come together. Most recently, Zeke Mayo has struggled, while AJ Storr has been relegated to single-digit minutes played each of the last three games. Still, on paper there's more firepower on Kansas' roster than most. 

Consistency has been hard to come by. KU hasn't won three games in a row in 2025. But a team coached by Self and led by Hunter Dickinson is not a team anybody wants to see in March.

Illinois looked like a Final Four contender in early January, getting out to a 12-3 record with wins over Missouri, Wisconsin and Oregon. But since Jan. 11 the Illini are 7-8.

Sickness has plagued the roster, leading to key players missing games, but there have been red flags in other areas. Illinois shot 33% from three in the first 15 games of the season. In the last 15 it has shot just 27%. Even worse, its opponents shot 27% from three in the first 15 games, but have shot 37% since.

How does Illinois recapture its play from the first half of the season? Getting healthy is key. “Frustrating. Challenging,” coach Brad Underwood said following a loss to Wisconsin on Feb. 18. “We’ve been going into games not knowing who we’re even starting.”

The Hoosiers were a punchline back in January after losing seven of eight games. Head coach Mike Woodson announced he would step down at season's end on Feb. 7 and since then the Hoosiers have been reinvigorated. 

Indiana has talent. Its frontcourt of Oumar Ballo, Mackenzie Mgbako and Malik Reneau is more than formidable. The Hoosiers have cut down on turnovers lately, averaging nine per game over the last six games compared to 12 per game in the previous eight.

Defensively, IU is allowing 68 points per game in the last six games, which is 12 points better than the previous eight. This is a team that is putting it all together at the right time.