March Madness bracket first four out: Why Oklahoma State, UNC, Rutgers, Clemson missed 2023 NCAA Tournament
Dreams came true on Selection Sunday as hundreds of players and coaches learned they were heading to the NCAA tournament.
A total of 36 at-large teams were selected to join the 32 teams already in the field via automatic bidding. For the rest of the nation, hopes of playing on college basketball’s ultimate stage have been dashed.
Most of the teams that fell short already knew they would not be selected. However, as always, some teams went into Sunday with hope and never heard their names called.
The pain could be long-lasting for the four teams that narrowly missed the field of 68. The NCAA unveils the top four in order, making the injury worse for teams that might just need another win to sneak in.
MORE: March Madness Bracket: Full schedule, TV channels, results for 2023 NCAA tournament games
The Sporting News explains why the top four missed the NCAA tournament this year.
Why Oklahoma State Missed the NCAA Tournament
Oklahoma State fell victim to an overloaded Big 12. While the Cowboys finished with an overall winning record and finished in the Big 12 ahead of tournament team West Virginia, they lost five of their last six regular-season games and just didn’t have an impressive performance of wins to make their case to support.
Oklahoma State’s best non-conference wins were Sam Houston State, Wichita State and Ole Miss. All three missed the NCAA tournament. The Cowboys went a combined 0-9 against Kansas, Baylor, Texas and Kansas State.
West Virginia was able to make the field by avoiding heavy casualties and picking up a few big victories. Mike Boynton’s team did not have strong enough wins to overcome a mediocre record and finished Selection Sunday first.
MORE: March Madness Bracket explains: How the field of 68 teams is seeded for the NCAA tournament
Why Rutgers Missed the NCAA Tournament
Rutgers was the biggest surprise of selection Sunday. While the Scarlet Knights were playing their bladders on the track, it was believed that a Big Ten tournament win over Michigan followed by a narrow loss to Purdue would be enough for that team to make their way into the field.
Rutgers finished 19-14 (10-10 in Big Ten play) and lost six of their last eight regular season games. That stretch included three losses to teams that didn’t make the field (Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska). Three of the Scarlet Knights’ non-conference losses also came to teams outside the field of 68.
Strong conference wins, including victories over Purdue, Indiana Northwestern, Maryland and Michigan State, were almost enough to put Rutgers in the field, but Steve Pikiell’s team will go to the NIT instead.
Rutgers was projected as high as a No. 5 seed early in Big Ten play.
MORE: Printable March Madness Bracket: Download a free blank 2023 NCAA tournament bracket PDF here
Why North Carolina Missed the NCAA Tournament
Not seeing North Carolina on the field is disconcerting considering they entered the season ranked No. 1 in the nation and have been a mainstay in March for decades. It’s staggering, but it’s not surprising today. In fact, it might come as a surprise that the Tar Heels even made the top four.
North Carolina’s job was just too easy for the committee to seriously consider the reigning runner-up. At 20-13 (11-9 in the ACC), the Tar Heels haven’t had many bad losses, but haven’t had nearly enough meaningful wins. Her only Quad 1 win was a home win over Virginia.
What looked like significant non-conference wins over Ohio State and Michigan didn’t mean much in March, as both the Buckeyes and Wolverines missed the NCAA tournament. If anything, North Carolina’s best win outside of Virginia may have come in game two of the season against CAA champion Charleston.
The Tar Heels had a similar resume for much of last season before shooting forward in the final weeks of the season. That surge has never happened this season, and North Carolina is headed home early.
MORE: Timeline of the Tar Heels’ first NCAA tournament blunder since 2010
Why Clemson Missed the NCAA Tournament
In a normal year, an ACC team finishing 23-10 and 14-6 in conference play would be a suspension. That was not the case with Clemson.
Weak ACC hurt the Tigers and left them with limited opportunities for impact wins. Clemson managed wins against NC State, Duke, Pittsburgh and non-conference Penn State, but the small handful of impressive wins were offset by some of the Tigers’ dire losses.
Clemson inexplicably lost to Louisville 4-28 and also lost games to Boston College, Loyola-Chicago, South Carolina and Florida State.
With bad losses and few notable wins, Clemson’s 23 wins were overshadowed by other bubble teams that had more substance to their resumes.