Of the 36 teams to receive at-large bids to the NCAA Tournament, where did Notre Dame rank? Seeing as they’re playing in a play-in game to get to the round of 64 we knew it’d be low but just how low?
How about the last of all 36 at-large teams.
NCAA Selection Committee Chair Tom Burnett essentially told Andy Katz that Notre Dame has Tennessee to thank for getting the Irish a bid to the dance because had Texas A&M won the SEC Tournament, Mike Brey and company wouldn’t have been dancing.
“Well, I think what we will tell you is that Tennessee’s win got Notre Dame into the bracket,” Burnett told Katz.
“Notre Dame was the last team into the bracket. So had A&M won, that would have bumped Notre Dame off the list as well.”
So in case you’ve ever wondered if conference standings matter in terms of the NCAA Tournament selection process, that answer is about as clear-cut as you’ll ever get.
One question though, if Notre Dame was the last team in then why are they playing in an 11-versus-11 First Four game against Rutgers while Indiana and Wyoming are both First Four opponents as 12 seeds?
If Burnett is right about Notre Dame being the last team in then my one and only question is why aren’t they seeded accordingly?
Related:
Notre Dame NCAA Tournament History
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