5 Cinderella candidates (College of Charleston!) in the men’s NCAA tournament

Shine off those glass slippers, folks. Let’s head to the Big Dance.

The bracket for the 2023 NCAA men’s tournament is now live, so it’s time to dig into the matchups. Cinderella stories are always one of the best parts of postseason college basketball. Last season, Saint Peter’s charmed the nation on a dream run that took the small Jersey City school to the Elite Eight with wins over powerhouses like Kentucky and Purdue.

This year, the field of 68 feels more balanced than ever before, meaning we could be ripe for another double-digit seed making its way through the bracket.

Let’s take a look at some of the most likely candidates to become Cinderellas in 2023.

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Has there ever been a better one-man bench mob than this dude for our latest Cinderella, Abilene Christian? No.

Let us all bring the energy of Paul Hiepler to everything we do.

Abilene Christian — which is a real school, I fact checked it, this is a very professional blog — beat Texas Saturday night in the NCAA Tournament, 53-52.

So if you’re keeping score at home, our official Cinderellas are: Two 13 seeds, North Texas and Ohio, 14th-seeded Abilene Christian and 15th-seeded Oral Roberts.

Not a bad group. Thanks, March.

I’m not here to give you any quick-fire analysis of this one. It’s obvious from the score that the Wildcats probably worked to control the tempo; a slower pace favors the less-skilled team. Texas turned the ball over 23 times. Already we have the ingredients for a tournament upset.

But, ALSO, Abilene Christian had this guy:

The horns down! He did the horns down!

Look, we’re accustomed to the fact that most Cinderella teams don’t last. We love them briefly and they leave us and that’s what this is.

But can we please keep Paul Hiepler around a bit longer? Literally just place him in the arena and film his reaction to whatever is going on. Put it on TruTV. You don’t have any other programming scheduled for that channel, TV execs.

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NBA graphic designer creates Disney edition Golden State Warriors crossover jersey

The Golden State Warriros got a new look featuring Disney’s Cinderella Castle.

Although the Golden State Warriors won’t be Orlando bound, the team still received an updated uniform with Disney vibes. To celebrate the return of basketball, NBA graphic designer Mikey Halim and Slam Studios created Disney inspired crossover uniforms for every team in the league.

The Disney crossover included the New Orleans Pelicans getting a Finding Nemo makeover, the Los Angeles Lakers looking like Mickey Mouse, the Milwaukee Bucks donning Bambi inspired jerseys and much more.

When it came to the Golden State Warriors, Halim assigned Walt Disney World’s Cinderella Castle. On a yellow uniform, the picturesque castle filled in for Golden State’s bridge silhouette in the middle of the jersey.

Via @srelix on Instagram:

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Golden State Warriors x Disney World – COP OR DROP? The FINAL jersey in the series! | Designed by @slamstudios | NBA x Disney Part 30 | @nba | @warriors ____________________________________________________ With the NBA officially returning at Disney World to finish the season, @slamstudios & I teamed up to bring you Disney-themed uniforms for all 30 teams. ____________________________________________________ Follow @srelix for more jersey concepts! Turn on story and post notifications and make sure to stay active! ____________________________________________________ Check out my website (www.srelix.com) today – link in my bio! DM or email for commissions, promos, custom art, resources, and more! To view my full portfolio, check out my Behance (www.behance.net/srelix). ____________________________________________________ Interested in buying high quality sports templates? Check out @sportstemplates – use my code "SRELIX" for 10% off 🔥 ____________________________________________________ #nba #posterizes #bball #basketball #ballislife #gainpost #dunk #hoop #baller #lebron #thisiswhyweplay #like4like #nbafans #nbaart #likeforlike #l4l #art #nike #photoshop #hypebeast #love #disney #gsw #warriors #disneyworld

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While the NBA has been on hold, new and creative uniform designs have blossomed across the internet. Prior to rolling out his Disney themed jerseys, Halim constructed superhero concept uniforms for every team in the league. The Golden State Warriors received Marvel’s Wolverine and Black Panther uniforms.

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Golden State Warriors x Wolverine – COP OR DROP? Make sure to check out my story for updates 👀| NBA x Superheroes Part 13 | @nba | @warriors ____________________________________________________ Follow @srelix for more content like this! Turn on story and post notifications and make sure to stay active! ____________________________________________________ Check out my website (www.srelix.com) today – link in my bio! DM or email for commissions, promos, custom art, resources, and more! To view my full portfolio, check out my Behance (www.behance.net/srelix). ____________________________________________________ Interested in buying high quality sports templates? Check out @sportstemplates and their website – use my code "SRELIX" for 10% off 🔥 ____________________________________________________ #nba #posterizes #bball #basketball #ballislife #gainpost #dunk #hoop #baller #lebron #thisiswhyweplay #like4like #nbafans #nbaart #likeforlike #l4l #art #nike #photoshop #hypebeast #love #marvel #wolverine #warriors #goldenstatewarriors

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View the rest of the league’s Disney inspired jerseys on Halim’s Instagram @srelix.

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