Aside from Duke losing in the ACC Tournament and missing out on a #1 seed, most of the top dance contestants (UCLA, Kansas, Memphis, and North Carolina) who battled in the polls throughout the year got their VIP tickets to the 'Big Dance'. Some teams came to the dance through the back door, while others couldn't get on the floor. Here are some interesting tid-bits going into the tournament.All the Right Moves:
- Baylor University had only their 4th 20 win season in the last 120 years of the school and got themselves an 11th seed in the tournament.
- Drake and Coach Keno Davis, son of former Boston College coach Tom Davis, made their first NCAA tournament in 37 years.
- USC meets Kansas State in a first round game that pits Michael Beasley and O.J Mayo, two of the most talented freshmen in the country.
- San Diego upset Gonzaga in the WCC Tournament, and Georgia, who only won 4 games in the SEC, won the season ending tournament to squeak into the dance.
- Cal State Northridge, my alma-mater, was picked to finish sixth in a preseason conference poll, so it was a huge surprise when the Matadors earned a share of the Big West Conference title and took a (20-9, 12-4) record and the No. 2 seed into the Big West tournament. However, CSUN eventually lost in the tourney to Cal State Fullerton and lost the automatic bid to the dance as well.
- The UMass Minuteman (21-10) had a good year and were favored to make the NCAA Tournament until they blew a 17-point halftime lead and a 62-53 lead with 4:55 to UNC Charlotte in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic 10 Tournament. Now UMass will have to try their luck as a #2 seed in the NIT.
- No miracle bid for a young Boston College Eagles squad as they got trounced by the Clemson Tigers 82-48 in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament.
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