There are few sporting events where the spectacle is so grand that devout fandom is not required to participate in the festivities. For many people, the players and teams are not necessarily tantamount to the palpable excitement filling living rooms and large restaurants. March Madness is truly one of these cultural phenomenons that dominates water cooler conversations everywhere.

In all the hysteria, it is easy to overlook the two crucial components fueling the massive enterprise that is the NCAA Tournament. This behemoth that is now too big too fail would not be what it is today without the marquee college basketball programs that propped it up decades ago. Everyone wants to see Goliath dethroned, but Duke, Kansas and Kentucky are all needed to maintain the Tournament's prestige.

However, millions of people wouldn't have their heads buried in a bracket as we speak, if not for the Cinderella stories who have turned an otherwise lavish, yet stuffy ball into the exciting party we know as the Big Dance. Every year, an underestimated, plucky program makes and breaks office pools.

Oftentimes, reason cannot even be applied. Nevertheless, we will do our best to pinpoint the likeliest candidates to outlive that midnight curfew the aforementioned elites will do their best to strictly impose. Here are five Cinderella teams who could make a run in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.

5. Oral Roberts

The East Region on the NCAA Tournament bracket just seems ready to combust. When the chaos settles, the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles could be soaring past the opening weekend. Recent March Madness success and Max Abmas are the reasons why.

The two-time Summit League Player of the Year scores over 22 points per game and is lethal from beyond the arc with 117 made 3-pointers on the season (37 percent). He led the team to the Sweet Sixteen in 2021. With a 17-game winning streak and a potentially fragile Tennessee awaiting them in the second round, who's to say it cannot happen again?

Duke, that's who. This game will give Cinderella seekers a headache. The winner of this one could even edge out No. 1 seed Purdue, as they both have the size to contend with National Player of the Year favorite Zach Edey. They are two of the hottest teams in the country right now. It is a big gamble, but if you can pull the trigger on Oral Roberts once, it should get easier the next time.

4. USC Trojans

The bottom half of the East could be just as crazy as the top half. USC is not a mid-major, but as a No. 10 seed they surely qualify as a potential Cinderella. Just look at their head coach. Andy Enfield gave hope to the UMBCs of the world- let's call them the sub-Cinderellas, when he guided Florida Gulf Coast to the Sweet Sixteen. He has now revitalized the Trojans as well.

A key theme in this list will be guard play and experience. Those are elements that breed success in March. While USC does not have a true point guard, Boogie Ellis and Drew Peterson have done a nice job of manning a capable offensive unit. Both were members of the All Pac-12 Conference First Team.

Ellis has made a massive leap in his game since transferring over from Memphis a couple years ago. His 18 points per game are crucial for a program defined by their defensive grit and rebounding prowess. Peterson will be the X factor, though. He has been dealing with back spasms and has not been the same player during the season's final stretch. Their early exit in their conference tournament gives him extra time to get right.

If he is, neither Michigan State nor red-hot Marquette might able to overcome the Trojans' balance and chemistry.

3. Drake could make noise in the Midwest

The Midwest Region should produce a lot of different configurations in brackets across the country. Houston resides as the top seed, but star player Marcus Sasser might not be at full strength after going down with a groin injury in the AAC Tournament. That leaves the top half potentially wide open. Enter Drake.

The Bulldogs have defense and experience, which always helps in this high-pressure environment. They also have Miami in their opening game Friday night in what could be a show-stealer Friday night. Hurricanes' Norchad Omier is day-to-day with an ankle injury, though, so Drake and its impressive rebounding numbers- 38 per game- could have an advantage inside.

Sophomore Tucker DeVries, son of head coach Dale DeVries, leads a team who shoots and defends well with 19 points per game. Miami is really well-coached, and Indiana is anchored by star forward Trayce Jackson-Davis, but the Bulldogs just look like a team that can handle the moment during March Madness.

Just like Oral Roberts, it might come down to a grueling Round of 64 matchup.

2. NC State

Long before words like “unbelievable” and “miraculous” became cliches used for many rag-tag championship teams, the NC State Wolfpack epitomized them. They laid the foundation for this full-blown extravaganza when they ran the table over the likes of Michael Jordan, Ralph Sampson, Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon to win the 1983 National Championship.

What is March Madness without Jimmy Valvano running like a literal madman in disbelief and joy? It just so happens to be the 40th anniversary of that team of destiny, and the 2023 Wolfpack have made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018. Now, if fate is not enough to bring pencil to paper, then how about one of the most dangerous backcourts in the field.

Sophomore Terquavion Smith and senior Jarkel Joiner combine to average more than 34 points per game and are primed to give opponents nightmares in the days ahead. The team limped to the finish line, losing three of their last four games- including two shellackings by Clemson. Though, they are battle-tested with wins over both Duke and Miami and can catch fire at any moment.

NC State will have to clear two Tournament stalwarts in Creighton and Baylor to reach the second week, but that is not as daunting a task as it seems. Neither team is outstanding defensively and could struggle to keep pace with Kevin Keatts' turnover-averse squad. Nostalgia can be very powerful this time of the year.

1. Iona can run through the West

When looking for a Cinderella who could wear the Glass Slipper with style look no further than Rick Pitino's Iona Gaels. The legendary yet polarizing head coach is in the mix for the open job in St. John's, but before he returns to the Power Five, he will want to leave a lasting mark, and maybe a banner in New Rochelle, New York.

Although the Gaels did not face fierce competition in the MAAC, they are solid in almost every area. They play that patented Pitno defense, holding teams to a stingy 29 percent 3-point shooting. It will be tough, but he should have a plan for neutralizing UConn star Adama Sanogo inside the paint.

If that does not work, though, guards Walter Clayton Jr. (16.9 ppg, 42.9 percent 3-point shooting) and Daniss Jenkins (15.6 ppg) should be able to pick up the slack on the offensive end. Iona matches up fairly nicely against both the Huskies and its potential Round of 32 opponent St. Mary's, who will play a physical game that Pitino loves.

In his third and likely final year with the program, he and the Gaels are ready to take the West Region by storm.