I’m the worst about following college basketball during the regular season, but like a lot of people, I really get amp’d up for the tournament (especially the first weekend).
I know that “big name” teams like Duke / NC / Syracuse etc., are all virtually guaranteed a spot in this year’s field, but of course all of them have “down years” from time to time, and don’t even get in.
I also understand that there are specific spots in the tournament reserved for the champions of “smaller schools’” conference tournaments.
But do you think it would it ever be feasible for a Duke / NC / Syracuse team to ever “squeak in” and get placed as a 15 or 16 seed? I don’t think that’s ever happened - I think the 15’s and 16’s are usually reserved for the James Madison / Southern / Vermont crowd (“not that there’s anything wrong with those teams”).
Or is it a case where the big schools either get in as a 9 or 10 seed (at the lowest?), or else they’re left out, and relegated to the NIT?