The Biggest Snubs of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament

Yesterday I did my men’s NCAA 2019 tournament picks. Today, I want to talk about 4 teams I think got snubbed, and who I would have them replace in the tourney.

First things first, I’m not one of these weirdos that thinks Indiana and Texas should be in the tourney. Both are barely .500. In fact, Texas is exactly .500 at 16-16, and Indiana is only one game better, at 17-15. I don’t care how many “quad 1” wins they have, or what “ quality” losses they have. Those records are not even close to good enough for an at large bid. Smaller schools are left out without a blink, and they can have a record of 30-2. But, if they don’t win their conference tournament, they’re all but forgotten about. Just because Texas and Indiana are “blue bloods” doesn’t guarantee a spot in the big dance. Anyone who calls either of those schools a snub are insane. With that being said, I do have 4 teams, 3 from major conferences, that I think got absolutely overlooked.

I’ll start with my mid major. How UNC Greensboro got left out is beside me. My only logical guess is what I stated before about a smaller school. They finished the year at 28-6, Michigan and Duke and UNC all have the same or similar records. But, they didn’t win their conference tournament, and they’re left to play in the NIT. That’s unacceptable. For me there’s an easy replacement, and it has nothing to do with my hatred for this school. How the University of Ohio State got an at large bid with a 19-14 record and a first round exit from the Big Ten tournament is baffling. I saw them play a ton, and they’re not very good. Again, this has nothing to do with my dislike for them. I’m friends with fans of them, and they don’t think they belong in the big dance. They struggled all year. They have no stars. They have a no name coach. Yet they get an at large bid as an 11 seed. UNC Greensboro would have been a much better pick in that spot, and they would have given Iowa State a much tougher game.

Now for the big dogs. I’m a bit perturbed that Georgetown didn’t get in. I know the Big East isn’t what it used to be, but they deserve a spot over a team like Baylor. Both are 19-13, in major conferences, but Georgetown would bring way more viewers than Baylor. First of all, Baylor’s sport programs all should be under investigation for many different charges. Second, Georgetown has super dunker Matt McClung and NBA hall of famer Patrick Ewing at head coach. I’d much rather see them than Baylor. I feel like Baylor iss getting at large bids because they used to be relevant. They’re not anymore. Let’s get Georgetown back to being a perennial tourney team as long as Patrick Ewing is their head coach. It would also be dope as hell to see them face Syracuse, an old Big East foe, in the first round.

My third snub comes from ESPN’s favorite conference, the ACC. Clemson should be there. They did enough to earn an at large bid. They are a much better 19 win team than Florida. The fact that Florida is in based on one lucky win, a buzzer beater three over LSU in the SEC tournament, is laughable. Florida is not good. Clemson is a much tougher, better coached and more disciplined team than Florida. And even though they’re 19-13, they were a consistent tough out for all the big time ACC teams. They at least would put up a fight. I mean, Nevada is going to smash Florida. I think they’d also beat Clemson, but I think it would be a much closer game. Florida shouldn’t be there. They got Clemson’s spot, and they got it unfairly.

Finally, my last snub is TCU. I know they had a rough finish to the season, and I hoped they would have done better in the Big 12 tournament than they did. But, they’re a much more deserving 20-13 team than Louisville. After blowing they big lead against Duke, Louisville was never the same. They struggled. They finished the year poorly. They bowed out early in the ACC tourney. But, since they’re an ACC team, which the committee loves, they were chosen over TCU because they’re a Big 12 team. That’s dumb. Louisville might win their first game, Minnesota is also a questionable tourney team, but TCU would have easily beat them. Hell, they could’ve beaten both those teams. They should have been given Louisville’s spot.

UNC Greensboro, Georgetown, Clemson and TCU are my biggest snubs. I would have put them in for sure. Now, they have to settle for the NIT. That’s a bummer.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet. 

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