We are reaching my favorite part of March Madness as the teams prepare for the final stretch of the regular season to find the best way to win the most competitive amateur tournament in the world.

If you are looking for a leg up on your March Madness picks here are my three dark horse teams:

The New Mexico Lobos is one of the teams that no one pays attention to. They are very disciplined defensively, something extremely important when playing high caliber teams in a 1 and done tournament. New Mexico coach Steve Alford, a disciple of Bobby Knight, was a winner with Indiana in the 90’s.

Another team that needs your attention is Tennessee. They managed to beat the Kansas powerhouse with a shutdown defense and that not many other teams can hold for a full game. The Volunteers can also score points which they do as a team as they do not have an established star to take charge.

Finally, I can’t leave out Kansas State, as the Wildcats are having one of his best seasons in history.

Kansas State has one of the best offenses in the country averaging above 80 points per game, with four players averaging over a dozen points per game. The team is led by sophomore guard Jacob Pullen, who is averaging just under 19 points per game, a constant threat from the perimeter.

So there you have it…if you fill out your bracket or join your office pool make sure to keep an eye on these 3 teams.