From Worst to First: Ranking the 2014 March Madness Mascots

Well, it's tough to be on a mascot power rankings list if you don’t have a mascot.

Harvard may be a smart school, but they aren't smart enough to adopt a costume mascot. Don't they know how much value it adds to a team? Well, officially, they do have John Harvard, their "pilgrim-like" mascot, but it's not the same.

We can't really fault the Manhattan Jaspers for not having a costumed mascot. They are housed in New York City, and we hear it's pretty expensive to live there. But just in case you're curious, the Jaspers were named after the school's first athletic director.

No, just no. What is suppose to be an homage to the religious figure really looks like a costumed version of Edvard Munch's "The Scream."

There are some mascots that are so bad, they're good, and then there are some that are just so bad, they're bad. The latter is where WuShock falls.

This wolf's name is Lobo Louie, but he looks more like a Loco Louie. Seriously, why does his tongue need to hang out like that?

Where's Waldo? Behind all that hair, we promise.

Nothing says America like a red, white and blue bald eagle named Clawed Z. Eagle. Except for the fact that eagles aren't really red, white and blue, but whatever.

Just to be clear, The Colonel of Eastern Kentucky is not related to Colonel Sanders. Or at least not that we could find.

The least you could've done is grow your own facial hair, Pistol Pete. That 'stache isn't fooling anybody.

We know that the Stanford Tree has a long history of pleasing fans. It's a silly, dancing tree with giant eyeballs and a mouth. Even after all this time, it is still hard to take seriously. Just because your mascot is a tree doesn't mean you have to throw in the towel.

There are some good looking tigers on this list, but this guy isn't one of them. He's not bad, just maybe needs a bath.

Congratulations are definitely in order for Chauncey and his Coastal Carolina Chanticleers for making it into the tournament, but we're not really feeling the teal and yellow color palette. The mohawk is awesome, though.

Sorry, Herbie Husker. Lil Red is much more cooler than you.

Oh look! Another cat! This guy is Wilbur and belongs to the University of Arizona. He gets bonus points for rocking that awesome hat, but we're going to have to take away some points for his awkward teeth. Is that a smile or a growl?

Overall, Buster Bronco is a stud. He has nice coloring and a friendly smile.

The Hawk of Saint Joseph's may look like a turkey, but this mascot wings never stop flapping for the duration of games -- not even during halftime. That takes some serious stamina.

We can definitely tell Eddie the Eagle is an actual eagle (unlike some other birds on this list), but he's a little shaggy. He's feathers need a slight trimming.

Why is that real bulldogs are so adorably cute, but costumed versions don't have the same appeal? Sorry, Spike.

Umm, that is not a hen. YoUDee looks more like a Toronto Blue Jays castoff than the official state bird of Delaware.

Cosmo has some serious upper-body strength. But we would like to see a little more of his eyes.

Umm...Did Willie the Wildcat forget his body? His head is a great start, but seeing a human underneath totally ruins the allure of costumed mascots (unless you're human from head-to-toe).

Overall, Pounce Panther looks sharp. We especially love the sweater. However we have one nitpicky complaint: Did you really need all that yellow detail? The eyebrows and his claws are fine, but the inside of his ears and below his whiskers?

Captain Cane has some pluses going for him, including his bulky biceps and cheesy grin, but there's nothing about him that screams Golden Hurricane.

Turning a little dog into a big mascot doesn't always work. Honestly, Boss is fine, but he could be better.

We'd take Musty the Mustang in any horse race. Just not in March Madness.

Thundar is actually really cute, and even though he has a large head, it suits him well.

Dear Jonathan. We say this with nothing but love and respect, but you look like a cat.

Sorry, Roc. There is nothing special about you. If you didn't have on that jersey, we would have never known you represent Pitt.

The Louisville Cardinal Bird is a solid mascot, but overall, there's nothing exciting about him. Nor is there anything negative.

As we've already seen on this list (we're looking at you North Dakota State), there is a right way and a wrong way to do a buffalo. Chip is the right way. It is worth noting that his horns are a little devilish, but they don't distract too much from the overall appeal.

Sparky debuted a new look this year, and for us, it was absolutely worth it. His new image is sleek compared to the old one and the decision to reduce the amount of facial hair was definitely the right call.

Overall, Sam the Minuteman is a pretty solid character. He has nice, not scary, facial features. He's a little run down, and his teeth are a little weird, but we've seen worse.

The main strike against Herky the Hawk is his awkward mouth. It's like his designer couldn't decide if he should have teeth, so they gave him some, but on the inside of his mouth. And, sorry, but it comes across a little creepy.

Normally, we'd see the Great Dane from Albany and think it was just another dog, but given that he has been known to stand his ground in a fight makes him a little tougher. We do not condone fighting, unless they are in oversized mascot costumes. That being said, the Dane still looks more like Scrappy Doo than Scooby.

We are big fans of Mr. Wuf, but we have to ask, what is with the sailor hat?

It takes a brave soul to rock a mullet, suspenders and cut off flannel shirt. And for that, Lumberjack, we salute you.

Oh, Puddles (or The Duck as you are legally called). You don't let being a duck bring you down. While some other mascots are a "cooler" species than you, you totally own who you are and that makes us love you even more.

We didn't know that Tony the Tiger had a part-time job as the mascot of Memphis? His real name is Pouncer, but with that sweet face, we don't think he could actually hurt anybody.

We've seen a lot of bears on this list, so how does Joe Bruin compare? Well, his coloring is great, especially against that baby blue jersey. He's approachable, but doesn't really rank high on the toughness scale.

Will D. Cat does a pretty good job holding his own as a cat in the mascot business. The blue really brings out his eyes.

What is a Billiken? An "elflike creature with pixie ears, a mischievous smile and a tuft of hair" according to the school. Be warned. It may take a while to appreciate the creativity here.

Headband? Check. White stripe down the face that kind of looks like facial hair? Check. Ready in a moment's notice? Umm, probably. The Wildcat of Kentucky looks like he takes his college basketball serious. So do we.

So that's what a 10-gallon hat is. Piston Pete takes being a Cowboy to another level with that thing.

Gators are pretty scary beasts out in the wild, but this teddy-bear version isn't fooling anybody. Sorry, Albert.

Rudy Flyer is so cool. How cool is he? He's so cool he can rock aviator glasses inside AND at night and look good doing it.

It's not very often we see a black bear as a mascot, but it's a really good look. Black, white and orange are really working together for Toby The Bear.

That is one toothy grin, Cy the Cardinal. It's a good thing you have impeccable, perfectly straight teeth.

It takes a very fit man to be able to pull off this Montezuma Aztec Warrior costume. And even more props goes to this one because he has to blow into a conch shell, and that's just hard.

Smokey is usually a college mascot fan favorite, and for good reason. He doesn't look like all the other dogs and his floppy ears are a nice touch.

Bevo is one of the most majestic mascots in college sports. Hook 'em, on the other hand, doesn’t quite live up to the high standards his live conterpart imparts. But at least he's not a dog, bird or cat.

It's not easy to produce a costumed mascot when your nickname doesn't give you a tangible object to mimic. But Cayenne is an example of doing it right. And it's just cool that he has flames coming from his arms.

Bruiser looks like he's not to be messed with. There's no hibernation for this bear. Plus, his fur color goes very well with green.

Many schools has multiple mascots. Some have male and female versions. Some have adult and junior pairs. For this list, we've tried to stick with the most well-known representations of the schools. But for Xavier, we had to include both. D'Artagnan is a pretty solid mascot on his own. He's fierce and has an amazing mustache. But, then there's Bob the Blob, a creature that kind of resembles a melted cookie monster. It's hard to imagine these two represent the same school, but you know what they say? Opposites attract.

Unlike another ram on this list, Rodney the Ram isn't very imposing. He's the goofy sidekick to the cheerleaders instead of a costumed creature commanding the attention of an entire arena. That's OK because VCU is pretty good at being the underdogs (underrams?).

Oklahoma has two costumed mascots, both white horses named Boomer and Sooner. You can tell the difference in the eye color: Boomer has blue eyes while Sooner has brown. Though it's not the eyes that is the best feature. Look at that mane! It's like a Baywatch slow-mo shot.

This guy is so impressive he's got 'the' in his name. The Bearcat of Cincinnati is a pretty impressive cat, but his whiskers give us a French-mustache vibe.

Lumberjacks and mustaches have seen a spike in popularity in recent years, and Emmit S. Burg may have something to do with it. Between the cutoff plaid shirt and fuzzy beard, he's screaming awesomeness.  

If we had a nickel for every time there was a bird or cat on this list….Anyway. Big Jay is a nice bird. He's tri-colored which is a little different.

When a school's mascot is based on a person, many choose to forgo the mascot suit and stick with the 'real' version. But we like that The Cavalier is fully animated. He’s kind of like a mix between The Most Interesting Zorro, one of the three musketeers and Captain Hook.

It's not easy making a cartoon ram look tough, but Rameses certainly fits the bill. This version is more intimidating than the "live" version, though his horns aren't painted blue. You win some, you lose some.

How can you bet against George? Out of all the human characters we've seen, George seems to be the warmest and most approachable, but we've got to ask, where's the wooden teeth?

It's not easy making a nut look good. Granted you have to get past the fact that he's a nut with a human body, but Brutus the Buckeye is a solid mascot that gets bonus points for being entertaining.

Billy the Bluejay underwent a makeover this year, and the folks at Creighton certainly got their money's worth. He's cooler and edgier now, and he doesn't have that same 1990s kids cartoon feel. Plus, it is a little refreshing to see a bird that doesn't have a yellow beak.

Otto is so bad, he's good. Seriously, he's just an orange with legs and little hat. He does have a nice advantage with his round body. He can roll in a ball and spin his body around. He just makes everyone around him smile.

The Duke Blue Devil has the rare combination of looking nice enough for the family-friendly atmosphere while looking badass enough to command respect.

When your mascot is a human, it can go terribly wrong quickly, but Sparty has all the right moves. Unlike a lot of generic mascots, this mascot doesn't need to wear a basketball jersey to distinguish he belongs to Michigan State. Plus, he totally looks like he can beat us up if we ranked him any lower.

You're looking good, Bucky! As one of the more iconic basketball mascots, this Wisconsin badger is always dressed to impress. That candy-striped sweater really adds a classic touch.