There are 351 Division-I teams in college basketball eligible for the postseason 2018 NCAA Tournament. Obviously, not every team can get an invite.
These teams were all on the bubble, but failed to make it into the field of 68.
There were a few upsets in conference tournaments this year. Many deserving teams were left out of the field of 68. I was surprised a few times during the Selection Show, but I feel good about the field overall.
How many Big 12 bubble teams missed the cut?
Here is a list of bubble teams which had their bubble burst.
USC Trojans (22-11) – USC needed to win the Pac-12 Tourmanet to get into the NCAA Tournament. They had a nice run, but the loss to Arizona in the final was the last straw. In my opinion, Andy Enfield’s team should have been in with an RPI of 35.
Saint Mary’s Gaels (28-5) – Should the West Coast Conference receive an at-large bid? The committee clearly thought their 1-1 record in their Quadrant 1 games wasn’t good enough. They needed to at least make the WCC tournament finals and play Gonzaga again to have had a shot.
Louisville Cardinals (20-13) – The Cardinals missing the NCAA Tournament is a fitting way to end this disastrous season for the program. Their backs were up against the wall and they were smoked by Virginia. They have some wins against other bubble teams, but nothing to really hang their hats on.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish (20-14) – Too bad Bonzie Colson couldn’t play like he did the final two weeks of the season, but for the entire year. The Irish are one of the best teams in the ACC when Colson is on fire. It’s a shame the entire country won’t get to see him in the NCAA Tournament.
Baylor Bears (18-14) – Baylor is the opposite of Oklahoma as they were playing their best basketball late in the season. It’s a shame they aren’t making an appearance in the Big Dance. They could have been a dangerous middle-range seed.
Oklahoma State Cowboys (19-14) – The Big 12 had a lot of teams on the bubble this year. They were another late-bloomer, but they have an RPI of 83…a bit too high to be considered for an at-large bid. They needed a stronger non-conference schedule.
Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (24-7) – Middle Tennessee have been upset machines in the NCAA Tournament, but they lost to Southern Miss in the freaking C-USA quarterfinals. They had a pair of nice wins (Murray State and Western Kentucky), but there are only so many at-large bids the selection committee can hand out.
Marquette Golden Eagles (19-13) – Marquette is right up there with Syracuse as being the quintessential bubble team. They played the 14th strongest schedule, but they just kind of won the games they should have won and lost the games they should have lost. They needed more Quadrant 1 wins.
Penn State Nittany Lions (21-13) – PSU had Ohio State’s number all season, but they failed to win any other Quadrant 1 games. They had a shot at another one in the Big Ten Tournament semifinal, but Purdue took care of them. They needed that Purdue victory to help their case.
Nebraska Cornhuskers (22-10) – The committee really needed to gift Nebraska a hail mary to give them an at-large bid. Their home win against Michigan is really the only thing they have to make a case for a bid. They played Kansas close early in the year, but again, a team’s best win can’t be a ‘close loss’.
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About the Author…
Bobby Roberts (otherwise known as Sweetbob) is the creator of ‘America’s White Boy’ and contributor at Project Shanks. His writing has been featured on ESPN’s ‘SportsNation’, Sports Illustrated’s Hot Clicks, Guyspeed, and various other sites. You can follow him on Twitter at @Sweetbob.