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The 2012 NCAA Tournament is set. 68 teams are in the Big Dance, but not to the dismay of the teams on the bubble that did not make the cut. The selection committee did a great job, but you can't put every team into the field of 68. The #1 seeds are Kentucky, Syracuse, Michigan State and North Carolina. Here are your four teams that were MOST deserving of getting in:
Drexel (27-6, 16-2 Colonial)
The regular season Colonial champion, Drexel Dragons have to feel stunned at this snub. The Dragons won 19 of their final 20 games and finished with 27 wins. Apparently 27 wins in the Colonial is not enough. Led by Frantz Massenatt (13.6 points per game) the Dragons had a rough 2-4 start that could not be overlooked. Bad losses against Georgia State and Deleware proved costly as the Dragons failed to win the Colonial Conference Tournament with a 59-56 loss to 2011 Final Four team VCU in their final game. The 27 wins were the highest of any team to not make the tournament.
Seton Hall (20-12, 8-10 Big East)
A 15-2 start for the Pirates was well in the rear view window. A six-game losing streak in the Big East from Jan. 13 - Feb. 4 really set back the Pirates who were having a solid season.
Big wins vs. NCAA Tournament teams VCU, UCONN, Georgetown and West Virginia were not enough as the Pirates failed to show March 3 at DePaul in an 86-58 loss. DePaul finished 12-19 this season, 3-15 in the Big East. The Pirates lost four of their final six games and will have to settle for the NIT. Despite the loss to DePaul, the Pirates deserved to be in the Big Dance as the Big East schedule is a gauntlet with so many great teams and a 8-10 record is worthy of an at-large bid.
Washington (21-10, 14-4 Pac-12)
The Huskies won the regular season Pac-12 title, but like Drexel, a lost in their conference tournament proved costly and sent Washington to the NIT. If you win the regular season conference you should be in the dance. The Pac-12 this season was just so bad that the Huskies needed a better showing in the Pac-12 Tournament. Losses in their final two games to bad teams in UCLA and Oregon State did not help the Huskies in the eyes of the committee. Washington did have some big wins this season against Arizona (twice) and Oregon. The Huskies had to play better and to beat Utah by a close score of 57-53 on Jan.4 didn't say much, the Utes went 6-25 this season, 3-15 in Pac-12.
Marshall (21-13, 9-7 C-USA)
The Thundering Herd are the biggest snub of them all. Despite a 9-7 C-USA record this Herd team came ready to play all year long. Marshall started the season with a 9-2, which included a 73-69 OT win vs. Cincinnati. the Herd also beat two more NCAA Tournament teams in Iona 82-63 on Dec. 11 and Belmont 87-86 Dec. 19. A trip to the C-USA Tournament Final led by guard DeAndre Kane should of got the Herd into the Big Dance. Kane scored 89 points in the C-USA Tournament. (22.3 points per game).