Who should Northwestern fans root for in March Madness?

DAYTON, OHIO - MARCH 18: Eian Elmer #0 of the Miami (OH) RedHawks celebrates after a dunk during the second half against SMU Mustangs in the First Four game of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at UD Arena on March 18, 2026 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) | Getty Images With Northwestern men’s basketball’s departure from the college basketball scene for the rest of this season comes a major void for ‘Cats faithful to fill. Without NU in the dance, what’s the team to hitch the Wildcat bandwagon onto this March?

There are plenty of good options this year. A season filled with feel-good stories, historic dominance, David-versus-Goliath upsets and the usual dose of March shenanigans has set the stage for a fascinating NCAA Tournament, and one Northwestern fans should be watching closely for the kind of true chaos only college basketball can deliver. But if that doesn’t float your boat enough, I’ve got four more reasons why you should flip your televisions to the tournament this year.

Here are some squads I think deserve to carry the Northwestern bandwagon. Some of these programs might carry the wagon all the way to the national title. No.

16 Seed Long Island University For the first time in eight years, Brooklyn has a March Madness team, and this one might pull the biggest upset in NCAA history. After two dismal seasons between 2022 and 2024 for the Sharks, last year was the revival of an NEC force, as LIU won six straight to propel itself into the conference tournament as the two seed. It would dominate Chicago State in the first round before losing to Saint Francis on free throws.