Unfinished Business: 'Bama, BYU and Mizzou Are Final Four Forlorn
Weep On It/Think On It/Sleep On It/Drink On It. That could be the motto for Alabama, Brigham Young and Missouri after they remained the "Susan Lucci" schools of Division I upon each of them losing in the NCAA Tournament's second round. The troubled trio have participated in at least 20 NCAA Tournaments but never advanced to a Final Four.
Missouri has participated in a regional final four times but fell short in reaching the Promised Land. Boston College is another bridesmaid on multiple occasions, losing three regional finals (1967, 1982 and 1994) in 18 tourney appearances (22-19 record) since the field expanded beyond eight teams in 1950.
Alabama (20-20) is the only school with a non-losing NCAA playoff record among the following list of five frustrated institutions in a quagmire because they've made a minimum of 20 appearances without reaching the Final Four:
School Tourney Appearances Regional Final Losses Utah State 20 (6-22 mark, .214) 1970 Brigham Young 27 (15-30, .333) 1951 and 1981 Missouri 25 (22-25, .468) 1976, 1994, 2002 and 2009 Xavier 23 (20-22, .476) 2004 and 2008 Alabama 20 (20-20, .500) 2004
NOTE: Xavier's record includes second-round victory over Notre Dame.