From Here to Futility: March Madness Turns to Sadness Via Single Setback

March 17th, 2024 - 18:59

The alluring "Road to the Final Four" is a highway already lined with daydreamers and potholes. Indiana State (28-6) was burned this season despite a superb NET. Does anyone with a functioning brain believe plodding Virginia deserved an at-large bid over entertaining ISU? The same held true for Appalachian State (27-6) although the Mountaineers didn't assemble nearly as impressive NET. It defies logic why so many mid-majors have been consigned to NIT participation at the expense of power-league members with mediocre or non-winning conference records.

Rather than automatically focusing on underachieving middle-of-the-pack power-alliance affiliates with non-winning league records, shouldn't teams capturing undisputed regular-season crowns in a Division I conference warrant more extensive consideration as at-large entrants to the NCAA playoffs? Season-long excellence needs to count more than always paying homage to mediocre members of a power league.

Davidson had two of 11 teams from mid-major conferences - Lafayette '78, American '81, Temple '82, William & Mary '83, Coppin State '94, Davidson '96, Austin Peay '04, Davidson '05, Norfolk State '13, Murray State '15 and North Carolina Central '15 - going undefeated in league round-robin regular-season competition but not participating in the NCAA playoffs after losing by a single-digit margin in their conference tournament since at-large bids were issued to schools other than conference champions in 1975.

Saint Mary's is a classic example depicting why many mid-level schools have an inferiority complex. The Gaels six years ago, UNC Greensboro five seasons ago and Coastal Carolina in 2010-11 were three teams winning 28 games like Indiana State and still be ignored by the committee. Utah State was shunned in 2003-04 despite winning nearly 90% of its games (25-3 record). Would Stephen F. Austin had been shunned four years ago with 30 wins if it lost in Southland Conference Tournament title tilt? Ditto McNeese State and James Madison this campaign.

Prior to joining the Big East Conference, Creighton's splendid season 15 years ago was downplayed. Know-it-all national media types and committee members may haughtily belittle mid-major achievements because they're from the other side of the tracks, but following is an alarmingly long track record listing chronologically eligible teams winning more than 25 games yet failing to earn invitations to the NCAA playoffs since the field expanded to at least 64 in 1985:

Season Mid-Major School Conference Coach W-L Pct.
1986-87 Howard University Mid-Eastern Athletic A.B. Williamson 26-5 .839
1989-90 Southern Illinois Missouri Valley Rich Herrin 26-7 .788
2006-07 Akron Mid-American Keith Dambrot 26-7 .788
2007-08 IUPUI Summit League Ron Hunter 26-7 .788
2007-08 Robert Morris Northeast Mike Rice Jr. 26-7 .788
2007-08 Stephen F. Austin Southland Danny Kaspar 26-5 .839
2008-09 College of Charleston Southern Bobby Cremins 26-8 .765
2008-09 Davidson Southern Bob McKillop 26-7 .788
2008-09 Creighton Missouri Valley Dana Altman 26-7 .788
2008-09 Niagara Metro Atlantic Athletic Joe Mihalich 26-8 .765
2008-09 Saint Mary's West Coast Randy Bennett 26-6 .813
2010-11 Cleveland State Horizon League Gary Waters 26-8 .765
2010-11 Coastal Carolina Big South Cliff Ellis 28-5 .848
2011-12 Drexel Colonial Athletic Association Bruiser Flint 27-6 .818
2011-12 Oral Roberts Summit League Scott Sutton 27-6 .818
2012-13 Stephen F. Austin Southland Danny Kaspar 27-4 .871
2013-14 Louisiana Tech Conference USA Michael White 27-7 .794
2013-14 Southern Mississippi Conference USA Donnie Tyndall 27-6 .818
2014-15 Colorado State Mountain West Larry Eustachy 27-6 .818
2014-15 Iona Metro Atlantic Athletic Tim Cluess 26-8 .765
2015-16 Akron Mid-American Keith Dambrot 26-8 .765
2015-16 Monmouth Metro Atlantic Athletic King Rice 27-7 .794
2015-16 Saint Mary's West Coast Randy Bennett 27-5 .844
2015-16 UAB Conference USA Jerod Haase 26-6 .813
2015-16 Valparaiso Horizon League Bryce Drew 26-6 .813
2016-17 Akron Mid-American Keith Dambrot 26-8 .765
2016-17 Illinois State Missouri Valley Dan Muller 27-6 .818
2016-17 Monmouth Metro Atlantic Athletic King Rice 27-6 .818
2017-18 Louisiana Sun Belt Bob Marlin 27-6 .818
2017-18 Saint Mary's West Coast Randy Bennett 28-5 .848
2017-18 South Dakota Summit League Craig Smith 26-8 .765
2017-18 Vermont America East John Becker 27-7 .794
2018-19 Hofstra Colonial Athletic Association Joe Mihalich 27-7 .794
2018-19 UNC Greensboro Southern Wes Miller 28-6 .824
2020-21 Belmont Ohio Valley Casey Alexander 26-4 .867
2021-22 Toledo Mid-American Tod Kowalczyk 26-7 .788
2022-23 Liberty Atlantic Sun Ritchie McKay 26-8 .765
2022-23 UMass Lowell America East Pat Duquette 26-8 .765
2022-23 North Texas Conference USA Grant McCasland 26-7 .788
2022-23 Toledo Mid-American Tod Kowalczyk 27-7 .794
2023-24 Appalachian State Southern Dustin Kerns 27-6 .818
2023-24 Indiana State Missouri Valley Josh Schertz 28-6 .824

NOTE: Cleveland State (defeated Indiana and Wake Forest), College of Charleston (Maryland), Colorado State (Colorado, Florida and Missouri), Creighton (Alabama, Florida, Louisville and Texas), Davidson (Georgetown, St. John's and Wisconsin), Illinois State (Alabama, Southern California and Tennessee), Indiana State (Arkansas, DePaul, Oklahoma and Virginia Tech), Liberty (Mississippi State), Louisiana-Lafayette (Oklahoma and Texas), Louisiana Tech (Ohio State and Pittsburgh), North Texas (Purdue), ORU (Louisville and Syracuse), Saint Mary's (Villanova), SIU (Arizona, Georgia, Texas Tech and Virginia Tech), Stephen F. Austin (West Virginia), Toledo (Iowa), UAB (Indiana, Iowa State, Kentucky, LSU, Michigan State, Missouri, Virginia and Washington), Valparaiso (Florida State and Mississippi) and Vermont (Syracuse) collectively won NCAA playoff games in other years against a total of 37 different power-conference members (including 14 in this year's event).