March Insanity: 6 males’s school basketball groups who may steal a bid come Choice Sunday

Per regular, there might be a handful of tournaments this postseason the place a heavy favourite goes down and a group nobody anticipated to crash the Large Dance does so by claiming its convention’s computerized bid. In a number of of those instances, the crushed favourite (or this yr, favorites) may have a resume robust sufficient to nonetheless warrant inclusion within the area of 68. In these cases, the Cinderella league champion will wind up “stealing” a bid from a non-automatic qualifier that might have been within the area in any other case.

Extra so than any yr I can keep in mind, it looks like the mid-major leagues with an at-large candidate have two of them. That’s comforting for bubble boys from main conferences, however thrilling for the prospects of a three-bid WCC or a 3 (4?)-bid AAC.

Should you’re a fan of Indiana or Ohio State or Arkansas or another group being talked about by Joe Lunardi each day proper now, right here’s who you’re rooting for over the following two weeks:

1. Saint Mary’s (West Coast)

For the third straight yr, the Gaels have gained the WCC’s common season title and would be the No. 1 seed within the league’s postseason event. Whether or not they win their second straight WCC event title or go one-and-out, Randy Bennett’s group might be comfortably within the area of 68 for a program-record fourth consecutive yr.

2. Gonzaga (West Coast)

The Zags have one of many weirdest event resumes of any group in current school basketball historical past. The predictive metrics say Gonzaga is likely one of the 10 greatest groups within the nation. Their precise win/loss outcomes say they’re … removed from that. Regardless, they’re going to be dancing for the twenty fifth consecutive yr, the third-longest streak within the sport.

3. Memphis (American Athletic)

“They’re not a mid-major. They don’t belong on this submit. Maintain their identify out of your mouth.”

No matter. They’re going to listen to their identify referred to as on Choice Sunday whether or not they win the American event or not, and that’s all that issues.

4. Drake (Missouri Valley)

The Bulldogs are unquestionable the most effective tales in school basketball this season.

After greater than a decade of dominating the Division-II stage at Northwest Missouri State, Ben McCollum lastly bought his shot on the D-I stage when Drake supplied him their head teaching place final spring. Bulldog followers weren’t sure {that a} D-II coach was the fitting selection to exchange Darian DeVries, who bolted for West Virginia after an especially profitable run in Des Moines. They had been even much less bought when McCollum introduced that he can be bringing 4 gamers with him from Northwest Missouri State, and that these 4 gamers would all be starters. Some followers despatched indignant emails to athletic director Brian Hardin, and others began mockingly referring to this system as “D-II Drake” on social media.

It’s labored out fairly properly.

Drake’s 27 wins are tied for probably the most of any group within the nation, they usually just lately wrapped up simply their third outright common season convention championship of their 111-year program historical past.

Regardless of all this, Drake has performed only one Quadrant-I recreation all season (a impartial courtroom win over Vanderbilt) and would immediately grow to be one of the debated at-large candidates within the nation if it fails to chop down the nets in St. Louis.

The Missouri Valley has given us a 1-seed vs. 2-seed championship recreation in every of the final 4 seasons, with Drake successful because the 2-seed the final two years. Bubble boys must be pulling for the Bulldogs to win this factor, but when they’re going to lose, you need them to lose early.

5. UC San Diego (Large West)

Of their first yr of NCAA event eligibility, the Tritons have been spectacular. They at present sit at 26-4 general, they’ve a number of Quadrant-I victories, and they’re No. 35 within the NET — only one spot behind two-time reigning nationwide champion UConn.

Individuals may have questions on UCSD in the event that they lose within the Large West event, but when that loss had been to come back in opposition to a really robust UC Irvine group within the championship recreation, the Tritons would have a reasonably robust case to listen to their identify referred to as on Choice Sunday.

6. San Francisco (West Coast)

USF’s at-large probabilities in all probability died with their common season-ending loss to Gonzaga. HOWEVER, typically the Committee will get just a little wild with their ultimate at-large alternatives. If the Dons had been capable of knock off the Zags within the WCC semis after which misplaced a aggressive recreation in opposition to Saint Mary’s within the championship, there’s definitely an opportunity they may earn a bid over an influence convention bubble group that misplaced early in its personal convention tourney.