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5 Teams Near Colorado Hoops Fans Can Root For In The Big Dance

DENVER (CBS4) - After a shocking snub on Sunday, fans of college basketball in Colorado are now left with no team that's inside state lines to root for in the NCAA Tournament.

The Big Dance is often referred to as the most exciting televised event in sports, so you know you've got to watch. But who to root for? Beyond your alma mater -- if you're lucky enough to have one in the tournament -- here are some teams you might want to get behind. They are at least college programs in states that border Colorado.

1. Wyoming
The Cowboys seem to be the obvious choice for those who want to root for nearby programs. Of course, they are a conference opponent of the CSU Rams and their victory in Sunday's Mountain West Conference Tournament may have led to the Rams getting shut out by the selection committee, so there might be some grumbling about rooting for them in Fort Collins. But Wyoming is the closest team to the Denver metro area who got an invite. They are a No. 12 seed and face No. 5 seed Northern Iowa on Friday in the East Regional bracket.

2. Kansas

The Jayhawks already have a very healthy following in the Denver metro area, as a lot of Kansas transplant find their way to the Front Range. Kansas won their 11th straight regular-season Big 12 Conference title but lost to Iowa State in the Big 12 Tournament championship game on Saturday. They have a No. 2 seed and will face New Mexico State on on Friday.

Utah Utes
(L-R) Brandon Taylor #11, Delon Wright #55 and Dallin Bachynski #31 of the Utah Utes celebrate late in their quarterfinal game of the Pac-12 Basketball Tournament against the Stanford Cardinal at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on March 12, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Utah won 80-56. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

3. Utah

After the Colorado Buffaloes and the Runnin' Utes joined the Pac-12 Conference in 2011 for several years it was the Buffaloes who were the new guys on the block making waves, not the Utes. But this season was a different story. After a strong regular season, the Utes make their first appearance in the tournament since 2009. They are a No. 5 seed and face No. 12 seed Stephen F. Austin in the South Regional bracket on Thursday.

4. New Mexico State

If you're looking to root for a nearby team who's riding a hot streak, the Aggies might be your pick. They have won 13 straight games and just won the Western Athletic Conference tournament over the weekend. New Mexico State has a No. 15 seed and will face the aforementioned Jayhawks.

Wichita State Shockers
The Wichita State Shockers mascot leads cheers during the ESPN Gameday broadcast prior to the game between the Wichita State Shockers and the Northern Iowa Panthers on Feb. 28, 2015 at Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, Kansas. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images)

5. Wichita State

The Shockers from Wichita, Kansas, are a No. 7 seed in the tournament and will face Indiana in the Midwest Regional bracket. If they win they might face their in-state rival the Kansas Jayhawks in the second round. This is the fourth straight year that the Shockers have been in the tournament and in 2013 they made the Final Four.

Honorable Mentions: BYU from Provo, Utah, plays Ole Miss in a play-in game on Tuesday. Arizona only barely touches Colorado, but it wouldn't be hard to jump on their bandwagon -- they are a No. 2 seed. A very small part of the Oklahoma panhandle touches Colorado, and they have two teams in the tournament: the Oklahoma Sooners and the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

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