Left out of the NCAA Tournament: Indiana, Boise State, West Virginia, Ohio State and more
Indiana won't play another game with retiring coach Mike Woodson after being left out of the NCAA Tournament.
The Hoosiers (19-13) have no plans to play elsewhere this season after being one of the first four teams left out of the 68-team NCAA field revealed Sunday, along with 24-win Boise State, West Virginia and fellow Big Ten team Ohio State.
After Indiana won five of its last seven games in the regular season to get in the mix, the bubble burst after losing to Oregon in its only Big Ten Tournament game.
The 66-year-old Woodson, who has been under fire most of the past two years, announced in February that he was stepping down at his alma mater at the end of the season. The Hoosiers missed the NCAAs last season after making it in his first two seasons, then ending their first stretch of four missed NCAAs in a row since 1968-72.
Boise State (24-10) made it to the Mountain West Conference Tournament championship game, but wasn’t one of the league’s four teams that moved on to the NCAA Tournament. Colorado State got the league’s automatic berth with 69-56 win over the Broncos in the title game.
The Broncos had been to the NCAA Tournament the past three seasons, and 15th-season coach Leon Rice spoke after the MWC title game about his team's continued aggressive scheduling and “great wins” this season over Clemson and Saint Mary's. He also lamented how the selection committee might look at a single loss in November at the end of an early-season tournament.
“So because, on the third day of a tournament, Boston College hits a step-back 3 to beat us, does that mean we’re not tournament-worthy? I mean when you’re breaking it down, ‘Well, they’ve got this one (bad loss).’ That happened in November with a different team basically than what we are now," Rice said. “So when you’re on the bubble … it’s a fine line that you’re on, and one shot can say you’re good enough to be in it, or you’re not good enough to be in it.”
West Virginia (19-13) had six Quad I wins this season, but lost its opening game in the Big 12 tournament to last-place Colorado. That kept the Mountaineers from being that league’s eighth team to make the NCAA field.
“Obviously, we are extremely shocked, saddened and disappointed with not being selected for the NCAA Tournament," first-year Mountaineers coach Darian DeVries said. “We strongly believe that we have a resume that is worthy of an NCAA Tournament team."
The Mountaineers played much of the season without the coach's son, 6-foot-7 Tucker DeVries, who averaged 14.9 points and 4.9 rebounds in his eight starts before an upper-body injury that required surgery. The father-son duo came from Drake, where Tucker DeVries was a two-time Missouri Valley Conference player of the year.
Bubba Cunningham, the North Carolina athletic director who is chairman of the NCAA Tournament selection committee, referenced DeVries' injury when talking about the first four teams left out.
“The last four teams that were out for, it was a tough call. The next team out was West Virginia and they had an outstanding year and unfortunately knowing Tucker DeVries was hurt, player availability is something that we talk about quite a bit,” Cunningham said during the Selection Show. “Indiana was close, Ohio State was close, Boise was close.”
Ohio State had six Quad I wins like West Virginia, but the Buckeyes lost five of their last seven games and missed the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive season. The last time they did that was 2003-05.
____
AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here.
-
Left out of the NCAA Tournament: Indiana, Boise State, West Virginia, Ohio State and more
Indiana has played its final game with retiring coach Mike Woodson after being left out of the NCAA TournamentABC News - 2d -
NCAA Tournament snubs: West Virginia, Boise State lead teams left out of March Madness
Instead of deservingly playing in the NCAA men's tournament, these teams will only be able to watch March Madness.Yahoo Sports - 3d -
Reacting to West Virginia being left OUT of the NCAA Tournament
© Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images Keenan Cummings and Wesley Shoemaker discuss WVU being excluded from the NCAA Tournament field. The Mountaineers finish as the first team out of the Field of 68 ...Yahoo Sports - 2d -
Indiana hires Darian DeVries: Will replace Mike Woodson after one season as West Virginia's coach
DeVries just wrapped up his first season with West Virginia after a six-year run at DrakeCBS Sports - 1d -
West Virginia shockingly left out of NCAA field
WVU was projected into the NCAA Tournament in all 111 brackets on the BracketMatrix. But not the one that matters.Yahoo Sports - 2d -
Darian DeVries releases statement following WVU's NCAA Tournament snub
West Virginia head coach Darian DeVries released a statement following his team being left out of the NCAA Tournament field on Sunday. The Mountaineers were the first team out of the NCAA ...Yahoo Sports - 2d -
West Virginia's Baker is 'resilient' after NCAA Tournament snub and losing DeVries to Indiana
First, West Virginia was a surprising omission from the NCAA Tournament. Then, the Mountaineers lost their coach. It's been a lousy week for a school now facing its third men's basketball ...Yahoo Sports - 1h -
Indiana hires Darian DeVries: What to know about Hoosiers' new basketball coach
Indiana hired West Virginia's Darian DeVries as its next men's basketball coach, replacing Mike Woodson.Yahoo Sports - 1d -
'It's a no-brainer': Indiana basketball players defend their NCAA Tournament resume
'I think we've been playing some pretty damn good basketball': Indiana defends NCAA Tournament resume after Big Ten Tournament exit:Yahoo Sports - 6d
More from Yahoo Sports
-
First Four announcers for Princeton vs Iowa State: Who's calling the ESPNU game?
Who's calling the opening game of the 2025 women's NCAA tournament?Yahoo Sports - 25m -
First Four announcers for Princeton vs Iowa State: Who's calling the ESPNU game?
Who's calling the opening game of the 2025 women's NCAA tournament?Yahoo Sports - 25m -
All-Star guards Thompson, Haliburton to miss Mavs-Pacers game as Anthony Davis progresses
All-Star guards Klay Thompson and Tyrese Haliburton have been ruled out of Wednesday’s game between the Dallas Mavericks and Indiana Pacers. Thompson will not play because of an illness, another ...Yahoo Sports - 26m -
All-Star guards Thompson, Haliburton to miss Mavs-Pacers game as Anthony Davis progresses
All-Star guards Klay Thompson and Tyrese Haliburton have been ruled out of Wednesday’s game between the Dallas Mavericks and Indiana Pacers. Thompson will not play because of an illness, another ...Yahoo Sports - 26m -
Texans named 'best fit' for top 2025 WR draft prospect
The Houston Texans could be back in the running for the one wide receiver everyone wants to reunite with C.J. Stroud.Yahoo Sports - 29m
More in Sports
-
First Four announcers for Princeton vs Iowa State: Who's calling the ESPNU game?
Who's calling the opening game of the 2025 women's NCAA tournament?Yahoo Sports - 25m -
First Four announcers for Princeton vs Iowa State: Who's calling the ESPNU game?
Who's calling the opening game of the 2025 women's NCAA tournament?Yahoo Sports - 25m -
All-Star guards Thompson, Haliburton to miss Mavs-Pacers game as Anthony Davis progresses
All-Star guards Klay Thompson and Tyrese Haliburton have been ruled out of Wednesday’s game between the Dallas Mavericks and Indiana Pacers. Thompson will not play because of an illness, another ...Yahoo Sports - 26m -
All-Star guards Thompson, Haliburton to miss Mavs-Pacers game as Anthony Davis progresses
All-Star guards Klay Thompson and Tyrese Haliburton have been ruled out of Wednesday’s game between the Dallas Mavericks and Indiana Pacers. Thompson will not play because of an illness, another ...Yahoo Sports - 26m -
Texans named 'best fit' for top 2025 WR draft prospect
The Houston Texans could be back in the running for the one wide receiver everyone wants to reunite with C.J. Stroud.Yahoo Sports - 29m