Bubble drama turned a significant storyline getting into the 2024 NCAA event. This 12 months’s bubble scenario was stacked with comparable resumes and sophisticated convention event developments. The unpredictable weekend altered so many desires and altered an excessive amount of journey plans.
5 bid thieves: New Mexico, Duquesne, UAB, Oregon and N.C. State turned brokers of chaos to the NCAA event committee’s plans. All of a sudden, there was a significant crunch for at-large bids. The 5 bid thieves successful auto bids primarily erased a whole seed line of at-large groups and made for a protracted weekend for groups on the bubble.
Been doing this since 2006. It is by no means been this tough for the committee, not solely due to how shut so many of those groups are, however due to the abundance of bid thieves which have knocked groups out. Happening midnight however the work continues. That is why they name it Insanity.
— David Worlock (@DavidWorlock) March 17, 2024
Now that the 2024 NCAA event bracket has been revealed, listed here are six groups who can really feel snubbed after a wild week of convention tournaments. Whereas lots of people are upset Virginia made the sphere of 68, numerous these instances might need had higher general profiles.
St. John’s
Issues had been wanting constructive for St. John’s earlier this week based mostly on metrics. The Crimson Storm are high 40 in NET (32) and KenPom (26) and gained six straight video games earlier than falling to UConn within the semifinals of the Large East Event.
However with the additional spots being wolfed up, the Large East noticed mid-tier groups get neglected. It additionally gave St. John’s just one win over an NCAA event crew (Creighton), with different Large East groups like Windfall and Seton Corridor additionally lacking the event. At solely 4-10 in Quad 1 video games, St. John’s in all probability wanted another win to get into this discipline.
Shockingly, Virginia is 44 spots beneath St. John’s in KenPom’s rankings, a big disparity between a bubble crew that received in and one which was neglected.
Seton Corridor
The case for Seton Corridor comes from 5 Quad 1 wins, together with notably notable Large East wins over UConn and Marquette. Not many groups within the discipline can boast two wins over high two seeds.
However the Pirates’ very low NET rating of 67 was sunk by a non-conference schedule with solely a high-major win in opposition to Missouri and losses to USC, Iowa and Rutgers.
Regardless of a Seton Corridor common season sweep of St. John’s, the Pirates couldn’t get previous the Crimson Storm for a 3rd time in a recreation with huge bubble implications within the Large East event. Beating St. John’s all three tries and getting one other crack at UConn might have been the distinction. Subsequent 12 months will see Seton Corridor look to enhance a non-conference schedule within the mid 200s.
Pitt
The principle bone to choose for Pitt is proudly owning a head-to-head win over Virginia, a crew who received into the sphere despite the fact that they’d worse pc numbers. Though the Panthers performed a simple non-conference schedule that didn’t give them a signature win, a win over Duke and a street win at Virginia matches the 2 Quad 1 wins that Virginia owns.
With the ACC being down this season and Pitt’s non-conference schedule hovering into the 300s, the Panthers clearly didn’t win sufficient marquee video games to get in.
Indiana State
This season’s mid-major darling fell sufferer to the brutality of Championship Week after falling to Drake final weekend. The Sycamores gained a nationwide cult following thanks to go coach Josh Schertz’s enjoyable offense and a crew of gifted and attention-grabbing gamers led by huge man Robbie Avila.
Regardless of a NET ranking as excessive as 29 in the course of the week, Indiana State didn’t have sufficient high quality wins. Going 1-4 in opposition to Quad 1 groups and 5-5 in opposition to the highest two quads didn’t assist an at-large trigger in a good 12 months. It’s horrible that Indiana State has a troublesome time frequently scheduling troublesome non-conference video games. However the Sycamores didn’t assist their very own trigger by shedding two out of three to Drake in convention play.
Windfall
Regardless of six Quad 1 wins and no very unhealthy losses, Windfall finds itself out of the NCAA event image.
Two wins over Creighton and wins over Marquette and Wisconsin, without having worse than a Quad 2 loss is way stronger than many on the bubble can declare. The Friars additionally sustained a stable season regardless of the season-ending harm to beginning ahead Bryce Hopkins early in convention play. General, the Large East was executed no favors on the bubble this season and plenty of of Windfall’s key wins turned out to be in opposition to groups held out of the NCAA event.
Oklahoma
Although the Large 12 was one of the best and deepest league within the nation, the Sooners didn’t do sufficient to get in. With solely a 4-12 file in Quad 1 video games, the Sooners sputtered down the stretch and didn’t clear up quite a few alternatives to boost their inventory.
However to see a Large 12 crew with metrics this excessive be neglected is a bit bit stunning. Oklahoma nonetheless beat a two seed in Iowa State, however the lack of different marquee wins over event groups in all probability saved them out.