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The field of 68 is finally out and we are on the brink of the four greatest days in any sport in any country on any continent. The NCAA Tournament is an entirely different animal, and the first four days of this behemoth are the most fun days you'll have watching sports, even if it's by yourself!
Which teams were left out of the field that had a strong case for being included? We have a few per year. Here are the three that were the most deserving this season.
In this article, I will provide you with three teams that should have made the 2024 NCAA tournament. Most of the teams mentioned can also be found in the NIT Tournament! Let's dive in!
Indiana State (28-6, 17-3 MVC)
Many believed Indiana State was one of the more prominent snubs among the teams left short. The Sycamores had an impressive season, with 28 total wins, the second most in program history, and a respectable 15-5 road record. Indiana State's metrics were also solid, with a KenPom ranking of 45 and a NET rating of 29.
If the Sycamores had a great season, why were they left out? The committee values losses in the Missouri Valley Conference much worse than they would for bad teams in Power Five conferences. Hence, losses to Illinois State and Southern Illinois hurt Indiana State. Unfortunately, Indiana State also lost four of its five quad-one opportunities, including going 1-2 against conference tournament winner Drake. Other quad-one losses included double-digit road losses at Alabama and Michigan State. Yes, Indiana State had a fantastic year, but the reasoning is there for why they were left out; however, there are Power Five teams who were selected that had a far worse season than the Sycamores.
St. John’s (20-13, 11-9 Big East)
Let’s get the elephant out of the room… the committee left out too many Big East teams. St. John’s is just one of a few teams from this conference that I could have added, but I thought Rick Pitino would be selected to coach in this season’s tournament. Why weren’t they selected? It could have been because their resume wasn’t strong enough; St. John’s was just 4-10 in quad-one opportunities and suffered losses to Michigan and Boston College this season.
However, St. John’s pulled its weight towards the end of the season, winning over Creighton and Seton Hall while ending the year with just a five-point loss to UConn. The metrics also rated this team high, with KenPom rating them at 26 and having a NET rating of 32. St. John’s also went 6-2 in quad-two opportunities. The committee showed no respect to the Big East this season, with other bubble teams such as Seton Hall and Providence also being left out.
Wake Forest (20-13, 11-9 ACC)
Wake Forest was a team that I was pushing for all season, but unfortunately, they came up short with a game-two loss against Pittsburgh in the ACC conference tournament. If Wake Forest could have capitalized on that last contest, they would most likely have been welcomed into the tournament this year. Was that one loss deserving of the Demon Deacons not being selected?
Wake Forest's best resume wins were Duke, Clemson, NC State, and Virginia, which are all solid, but this team had zero significant non-conference wins. The Demon Deacons also had fascinating players, with Hunter Sallis and Kevin Miller leading the team in scoring this season. Very few quad-one wins were a problem for the committee, but one more win was during the ACC Tournament, and I believe Wake Forest would have secured a tournament bid as a bubble team.
Let's keep hooping.
📰: https://t.co/0LcEPbMswK #GoDeacs 🎩🏀 pic.twitter.com/hNzmIFDG7O
— Wake Forest Men's Basketball (@WakeMBB) March 18, 2024
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