Sixty-eight teams watched and celebrated as their names slotted into the bracket for the men’s NCAA Tournament. A few, though, only received what equates to an honorable mention.
West Virginia, Indiana, Ohio State and Boise State were revealed as the first four teams left out of the NCAA Tournament, just missing out as North Carolina took the final at-large bid.
Here’s a look at how those teams fared during the regular season, and where they may have fallen short.
West Virginia
Record: 19-13 (10-10 Big 12)
Profile strengths: Six Quad 1 wins, including four in Q1A, zero bad losses.
Profile weaknesses: Metrics were squarely in bubble land, 13 total losses.
The Mountaineers got off to a strong start that included a seven-game win streak with victories over Arizona and Kansas. But they ultimately lost nine of their final 15. Guard Javon Smalls was the team’s offensive leader with 18.6 points and 5.6 assists per game, but the team clearly missed Tucker DeVries (14.9 points per game), who starred in early-season wins over Gonzaga and Arizona before suffering a season-ending injury in early December.
“They had an outstanding year and unfortunately, Tucker DeVries was hurt, and player availability is something that we talk about quite a bit,” said selection committee chair Bubba Cunningham, the athletic director at UNC.
Colorado, the last-place Big 12 team in the regular season, knocked West Virginia out of the Big 12 tournament with a 67-60 win in the second round.
Indiana
Record: 19-13 (10-10 Big Ten)
Profile strengths: Zero losses outside Q1, very competitive resume metrics.
Profile weaknesses: Only a 4-13 record in Q1 games.
If social media buzz is to be believed, the Hoosiers seem to be the biggest snub. The Hoosiers’ 4-13 record against Quad 1 opponents wasn’t great, but they didn’t record any losses otherwise. It raised some eyebrows given that North Carolina, which was the last team to make the field, was 1-12 versus Quad 1.
Though Indiana defeated Michigan State (on the road), Purdue and Ohio State late in the season, the Hoosiers’ first-round Big Ten tournament exit following a 72-59 loss to Oregon may have ultimately doomed their chances. Indiana ended up going 3-10 against teams in the NCAA Tournament field.
Selection Committee Chair Bubba Cunningham and Vice Chair Keith Gill give insight into the selection process.#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/mXHDDwftaL
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 16, 2025
The Hoosiers will now focus on finding Mike Woodson’s replacement, as athletic director Scott Dolson announced in February that the coach would step down at the end of the season.
Ohio State
Record: 17-15 (9-11 Big Ten)
Profile strengths: Strong quality metrics, multiple elite wins away from Columbus, great nonconference strength of schedule, no bad losses.
Profile weaknesses: Only two games over .500 overall, 9-15 record against Q1/Q2.
Ohio State was the highest rated team via KenPom that won’t go dancing, sitting at No. 39. The Buckeyes were 6-11 versus Quad 1 opponents and owned regular-season wins against Texas, Kentucky, Purdue and Maryland.
Similar to Indiana’s end, the Buckeyes lost 77-70 to Iowa in the first round of the Big Ten tournament, missing out on a late chance to boost their resume.
Boise State
Record: 24-10 (14-6 Mountain West)
Profile strengths: Two key nonconference wins, solid predictive metrics.
Profile weaknesses: One loss each in Q3 and Q4.
The Mountain West got four teams in the bracket, but Boise State was the odd one out despite wins over Clemson and Saint Mary’s. The Broncos teetered on the edge of the field after losing the conference championship to Colorado State on Saturday.
The Broncos had made the NCAA Tournament three consecutive years, but will now have to wait until at least 2026 to try again for their first win in the tourney (they’re 0-10 all time).
— Jim Root contributed to this story.
Required reading
(Photo: John E. Moore III / Getty Images)
