Conference: Big 12 (Auto-Bid) Record: 23-10 (12-6) NCAA Tournament Seed: 5 (Midwest) How they got to the Big Dance The Cyclones’ season was filled with many ups and downs. Their loss total reached double digits, but they also had some impressive wins over highly-ranked opponents. A 9-2 non-conference record was highlighted by a win over Miami and losses to Iowa and Gonzaga. In Big 12 play, Iowa State fought through…
Conference: ACC (At-Large) Record: 21-11 (10-8) NCAA Tournament Seed: 8 (Midwest) How they got to the Big Dance The Miami Hurricanes began the season at 4-0 in nonconference play before dropping two consecutive games to Iowa State and Florida. They rebounded quickly, as they finished the early part of their schedule with six straight wins to put them at 10-2 entering ACC play. The Hurricanes went 10-8 during the regular…
Conference: AAC (At-Large/Auto-Bid) Record: 30-4 (17-1) NCAA Tournament Seed: 6 (East) How they got to the Big Dance The SMU Mustangs had a pretty impressive regular season, but at the start it did not look they were going to finish the regular season as the best team in the AAC. The Mustangs began the season at 4-3 with non-conference losses to Michigan, USC and Boise State. However, after being defeated…
Conference: AAC (At-Large/Auto-Bid) Record: 29-5 (16-2) NCAA Tournament Seed: 6, South How they got to the Big Dance The Cincinnati Bearcats started the season with a pattern of three wins and then a loss. After beginning the season 3-0, they hit a bump in the Rhode, suffering a five-point loss to Rhode Island. They followed that up with three more wins, including an overtime victory at Iowa State, before losing…
Conference: WAC (Auto-Bid) Record: 28-5 (11-3) NCAA Tournament Seed: 14 (East) How they go to the Big Dance The Aggies had a very impressive season both in and out of conference play. New Mexico State started off slow, sitting at 2-2, but a loss to New Mexico in the middle of November would be the last defeat they would see in almost three months. The Aggies won an unprecedented 20…
Conference: OVC (Automatic-Bid) Record: 20-14 (9-7) NCAA Tournament Seed: 15 (Midwest) How they got to the Big Dance The Gamecocks had an average 2016-17 regular season but finished with 20 wins. The greatest highlight of their season so far has come in postseason play. It has been a season of firsts for Jacksonville State, the fourth seed in the OVC Tournament advanced to their first ever final after a win…
Conference: SEC (At-Large) Record: 19-15 (10-8) NCAA Tournament Seed: 9 How they got to the Big Dance Vanderbilt made history this year, becoming the first team with 15 losses to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. However, their strength of schedule and impressive wins warrant this selection. The Commodores had a very up and down season, but three wins over Florida along with victories over Iowa State…
Conference: Big East (At-Large) Record: 25-9 (10-8) NCAA Tournament Seed: 6 (Midwest) How they go to the Big Dance The Bluejays got off to a strong start this season, going 12-0 in non-conference play with an impressive win against Wisconsin. A few weeks later, Creighton was 18-1 with a win over Butler and its only loss coming to Villanova. However, in their 19th game of the season, the Bluejays suffered…
Feature photo courtesy of UMTerps.com The wait is over for Maryland Terrapins fans. After much deliberation and with just two hours to spare, Maryland point guard Melo Trimble has decided to withdraw from the NBA Draft and return to College Park for his junior season, according to multiple reports. Trimble submitted his name for the NBA Draft, but did not hire an agent during the process. Due to new eligibility…
Feature photo courtesy of Maryland Athletics. From 1984-1987, Maryland Terrapins head coach Mark Turgeon donned a Kansas Jayhawks uniform. Turgeon served as a captain in his junior and senior seasons and led the Jayhawks to the Final Four in 1986. He was the first player in Kansas basketball history to play in four consecutive Final Fours. This year, from the sidelines, Turgeon has taken Maryland to back-to-back NCAA tournaments, and…