First Four Teams Out of 2023 NCAA Tournament, per Selection Committee

The 2023 NCAA tournament bracket was revealed on Sunday night, and following the field of 68 selections, the tournament selection committee revealed the first four teams out of the field.

Oklahoma State was the first team left out, Rutgers was the second, North Carolina was the third and Clemson was the fourth. When asked about why Oklahoma State missed the field, NCAA tournament selection committee chair Chris Reynolds cited the Cowboys’ lack of success in Quad 1 games.

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“When you look at their resume, they had 18 opportunities in the Quad 1 and they won only six games and they had opportunities in the non-conference schedule to win some games to enhance their resume and they fell a little short,” Reynolds said.

While Oklahoma State was the first team left out, the highlight of the group was North Carolina, whose fall from grace following last season’s tournament run culminated in a missed NCAA tournament berth. The Tar Heels returned four of their five starters from last year’s team, which made it to the national championship game and lost to Kansas.

The Tar Heels were the preseason No. 1 ranked team, and never got things together as they dealt with inconsistency on both ends of the floor.

Clemson’s lack of quality wins and number of Quad 3 losses were likely the culprit in its snub, while Rutgers’ inconsistency in the middle of conference play likely led to its demise when the bracket was revealed on Sunday.