March Madness Upset Predictions: 5 women's teams poised to shake up NCAA tournament ft. South Dakota State

As you fill out your last-minute March Madness brackets ahead of Thursday's First Round matchups, you might be looking for potential upsets. Let's take a look into which women's teams are capable of pulling off upsets in the Round of 64.

5 women's teams poised to shake up NCAA tournament

#1. No. 10 South Dakota State

South Dakota State has emerged as a popular upset pick as the team prepares to face No. 7 Oklahoma State on Saturday. The Jackrabbits rank 15th in the country in 3-point percentage at 37.0% and hold opponents to 30.0% shooting from beyond the arc.

Brooklyn Meyer leads South Dakota State with 17.4 points per game and teammate Paige Meyer averages 12.0 ppg and 5.3 assists per game. The Jackrabbits are led by seasoned coach Aaron Johnson, who has taken his team to the NCAA Tournament 13 times since 2009, including a 2019 Sweet Sixteen.

ESPN has the odds of this upset happening at 32.6%. The Jackrabbits had the nation's 13th most difficult non-conference schedule and could hand the Cowgirls a First Round loss.

#2. No. 10 Harvard

Harmoni Turner is hot for Harvard right now. The senior guard averages 31.3 ppg in her team's last four games. Over the course of the season, she's averaging 22.5 ppg.

The Crimson thrives defensively. The team allows just 52.5 ppg, the sixth-best in the country. No. 7 Michigan State remains the favorite in this game, but if Turner remains on her hot streak and Harvard sticks to its strong defense, this could be a potential upset.

#3. No. 11 George Mason

George Mason is playing its best basketball of the season right now. The Patriots rank in the top 30 on both sides of the ball and have won 15 of their last 17 games. This team shoots well and holds opponents to 56.7 ppg while scoring 73.7.

The Patriots have won four consecutive games by an average of 19.0 ppg and won their conference tournament title game by 15 points. Defeating No. 6 Florida State, who is the No. 22 ranked team in the country, won't be an easy feat. But if the Patriots can continue performing like they have as of late, they have a chance.

#4. No. 11 Iowa State

Don't underestimate Audi Crooks. Iowa State was the preseason No. 8 but finished the year seventh in Big 12 standings with a 22-11 overall record. Now, the Cyclones will face Princeton in a First Four game.

I believe that Iowa State will find no problem against Princeton. ESPN Analytics gives Crooks' squad a 70.2% of winning that game. I think they can also upset No. 6 Michigan. Crooks is the Cyclones' star, averaging 23.2 ppg and shooting 60.2% from the field.

Michigan is a small team and might not have an answer for Crooks, allowing Iowa State to pull off the upset.

#5. No. 12 Fairfield

Losing Ayoka Lee has been hard for No. 5 Kansas State. Since losing the center to a foot injury, the Wildcats have gone 7-6. She is expected to return for this First Round matchup, but Kansas State will need to adjust its game quickly to account for having Lee back.

Fairfield has won 22 of its last 23 games and makes 8.9 3-pointers per game. Kansas State averages 8.5. This upset seems like a long shot, but the Stags are hot and have the potential to defeat the Wildcats.