From Here to Futility: What More Could SFA Have Done to Be At-Large?

The "Road to the Final Four" is a highway lined with daydreamers and potholes. Davidson had two of nine teams from mid-major conferences - Lafayette '78, American '81, Temple '82, William & Mary '83, Coppin State '94, Davidson '96, Austin Peay '04, Davidson '05 and Norfolk State '13 - 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.

Stephen F. Austin, rejected for the second time in six years, is a classic example depicting why many mid-level schools have an inferiority complex. Utah State was shunned in 2003-04 despite winning nearly 90% of its games (25-3 record). Stephen F. Austin (27-4) became the 14th school in the last seven seasons denied an at-large bid despite posting in excess of 25 victories. The Lumberjacks posted the best winning percentage among this group. Jay Bilas may belittle their achievements, but following is an alarmingly long chronological list of eligible teams to win more than 25 games yet fail to earn invitations to the NCAA playoffs since the field expanded to at least 64 in 1985:

NOTE: Cleveland State (defeated Indiana and Wake Forest), College of Charleston (Maryland), Creighton (Alabama, Florida, Louisville and Texas), Davidson (Georgetown, St. John's and Wisconsin), ORU (Louisville and Syracuse), Saint Mary's (Villanova) and SIU (Arizona, Georgia, Texas Tech and Virginia Tech) each won in the NCAA playoffs against power conference members.