2023 March Madness Bracket: Who Are The 5 Biggest March Madness Snubs?

2023 March Madness Bracket: Who Are The 5 Biggest March Madness Snubs?

With every field of 68 each year on Selection Sunday, there are inevitably teams that are left out that feel deserving of getting into the field. This year is no different, as Pittsburgh, Arizona State, Nevada, and Mississippi State were the bubble teams that punched their tickets. 

Let’s take a look at the five teams that weren’t so lucky as we take a closer look at the five biggest March Madness snubs of 2023. 

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5 Biggest March Madness Snubs

5. Clemson Tigers

Clemson's resume had a number of positive aspects as they defeated NC State, another team on the bubble, as well as Penn State, Pittsburgh, and Duke. They had a 14-6 record in the admittedly weak ACC, but their non-conference schedule did them in. 

In addition to losing to South Carolina, Boston College, and Loyola Chicago, you cannot lose a game against 28-loss Louisville and expect to get to the NCAA tournament.

4. Vanderbilt Commodores

Since the start of February, Vanderbilt has easily been one of the best teams in the country. The Commodores triumphed in 10 of their final 12 games, beating Kentucky twice, Mississippi State once, Auburn once, and Tennessee once. Vanderbilt would be a lock if the selection committee selected the 68 teams performing the best on Selection Sunday, but unfortunately, their full body of work was what this team was in. 

3. North Carolina Tar Heels

The North Carolina Tar Heels entered the season as the preseason favorite after returning the majority of their core players following their run to the Final Four in Davis' first season as head coach. However, Davis' second season did not go as well as had been anticipated, and the Tar Heels struggled all season to remain consistent. 

They were eliminated from the ACC Tournament by Virginia in the second round despite their stamping their ticket to the NIT Tournament in the process. 

2. Oklahoma State Cowboys

Despite being at the top of the Big 12 in terms of rebounding and blocking shots, the Cowboys did not have a single player who averaged more than 11.7 points per game, and their point leader was junior guard Bryce Thompson. Their fate was set when they went on a skid of five games late in the season and were eliminated in the second round of the Big 12 tournament, despite fans' protest they deserved a spot. 

1. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

The Scarlet Knights were predicted to go to the NCAA tournament in almost every mock bracket I saw, but their unique profile always left them open to this. Over the course of the Big Ten season, this team proved that it could defeat anyone and lose to anyone, but it did not challenge itself in non-league play, and they are paying for it. 

On the one hand, Rutgers defeated Purdue in January and competed hard against the Boilermakers once more in the Big Ten quarterfinals. Loss vs. Nebraska, Temple, and Seton Hall ultimately sealed their fate. 

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