Elite Hate: Six Power-Conference Members Never Advancing to Regional Final
March 14th, 2023 - 19:23
First things first! This admonition for handful of prominent schools is finally winning an NCAA playoff regional semifinal game. Arizona State, Northwestern and Texas A&M failed to capitalize on an opportunity to erase that resume blemish this year. Coach Buzz Williams may have only himself to blame for lame non-conference schedule, but he denounced Texas A&M's omission from 2022 NCAA playoffs and corresponding nixing of opportunity to finally advance to "Elite Eight."
Some fans hate that their university never has been in a position to secure one more victory and reach the Final Four love-fest. The Aggies are among a total of six existing power-conference members failing to advance to an NCAA Tournament regional final. The frustration list included Miami (Fla.) before the Hurricanes left dubious list with Midwest Regional success at 2022 party. Combining for 79 NCAA playoff appearances (including 2023) and 57-71 record (.445), following is an alphabetical list of the half-dozen "Elite Eight" no-shows from top six leagues:
| Power-League Member | App. | Record | Pct. | Premier Players for Previous NCAA Tournament Teams |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona State | 17 | 15-18 | .455 | Larry Armstrong, Isaac Austin, Art Becker, Mario Bennett, Joe Caldwell, Jahii Carson, Tony Cerkvenik, Ike Diogu, Jamal Faulkner (transferred to Alabama), James Harden, Tra Holder, Lionel Hollins, Alton Lister, Scott Lloyd, Remy Martin (transferred to Kansas), Kurt Nimphius, Ron Riley, Byron Scott and Rudy White |
| Boston College | 18 | 22-19 | .537 | Danya Abrams, Michael Adams, Steve Adelman, John Bagley, Troy Bell, Bob Carrington, Bill Curley, Terry Driscoll, Jared Dudley, Howard Eisley, John Garris, Jay Murphy, James "Scoonie" Penn (transferred to Ohio State), Tyrese Rice and Craig Smith |
| Mississippi | 9 | 5-9 | .357 | Keith Carter, Carlos Clark, Terence Davis, Aaron Harper, Marshall Henderson, Marcus Hicks, Stefan Moody, Justin Reed, Ansu Sesay and Elston Turner |
| Nebraska | 7 | 0-7 | .000 | Cookie Belcher, Jaron Boone, Derrick Chandler, Bernard Day, Venson Hamilton, Carl Hayes, Rich King, Tyronn Lue, Terran Petteway, Eric Piatkowski, Shavon Shields, Erick Strickland and Andre Woolridge (transferred to Iowa) |
| Northwestern | 2 | 2-2 | .500 | Chase Audige, Boo Buie, Vic Law, Scottie Lindsey, Bryant McIntosh and Dererk Pardon |
| Texas A&M | 15 | 13-16 | .448 | Billy Bob Barnett, John Beasley, Josh Carter, Winston Crite, Barry Davis, Tyler Davis, Mike Heitmann, Danuel House, Jalen Jones, Joseph Jones, Acie Law IV, Bennie Lenox, Khris Middleton, Steve Niles, Sonny Parker, Ronnie Peret, Claude Riley, Vernon Smith, Wade Taylor IV, Robert Williams, Rudy Woods and Rynn Wright |