There are 358 Division-I teams in college basketball eligible for the postseason 2022 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 SEC bubble teams missed the cut?
Here is a list of bubble teams which had their bubble burst.
BYU Cougars (22-10) – The Cougars needed to win the West Coast Conference tournament to get in. There were just too many good-to-great teams in their conference and the WCC weren’t going to get four teams in the Big Dance.
SMU Mustangs (23-8) – The Mustangs were undefeated at home, but they were just average on the road this season. They really needed at least one more big win. Had they beaten in Houston late in the season, maybe they would have needed to beat Memphis in the AAC Conference Tournament to earn a bid.
Xavier Musketeers (18-13) – Xavier started the year looking like they were destined to be playing in some big games in March, but they stunk up during Big East Conference play. They were only 8-11 and were just 2-5 against ranked teams this season.
Oklahoma Sooners (18-15) – The Sooners were another team that played great to start the season, but they were only 7-11 in Big 12 play. You just can’t lose 15 games and earn a place in the NCAA Tournament.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons (23-9) – The ACC had a handful of teams that were near-automatic to make the field, but Wake Forest didn’t make it. They just didn’t consistently beat the best teams in the ACC to be considered. Losing in overtime to Boston College in the second round of the ACC Conference Tournament was just the nail in the coffin.
Dayton Flyers (23-10) – The Atlantic 10 had some good teams with Davidson and Richmond earning NCAA Tournament berths, but they just weren’t going to get three teams in the field.
Saint Louis Billikens (23-11) – The Atlantic 10 was top-heavy with good teams, but like Dayton, they needed to win their conference tournament to earn a spot. The A-10 will have a big showing in the NIT Tournament.
Texas A&M Aggies (23-12) – A&M was playing their best at the right time, but they needed to take care of business earlier. They had a stretch near the start of the SEC schedule that they lost eight-straight games. Many SEC teams had some bad losses in non-conference play, so they didn’t help their cause by losing to team with average resumés.
North Texas Mean Green (24-6) – North Texas lost to a defensive-minded Louisiana Tech in the Conference USA Tournament. They would have been an interesting team in the Big Dance, but they were just strangled by a tricky team.
Towson Tigers (25-8) – Towson lost to Delaware in the Colonial Conference Tournament. They handled their business in the regular season by sharing the regular season title with UNC Wilmington, but the Colonial just isn’t going to get an at-large bid.
Purdue-Fort Wayne Mastodons (21-11) – Honestly, the Mastodons had a near-zero chance of making the NCAA Tournament, but I had to acknowledge my alma mater. The Horizon League had five 20-win teams and Purdue-Fort Wayne shared the regular season title with Cleveland State. I hope they get an invite to the NIT.
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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.