Why the Stanford Cardinal Deserve to be in the NCAA Tournament

Over the last few days, the NCAA Tournament bubble has become one of the most controversial conversations in college basketball, which is to be expected this time of year. With many power conference teams struggling and no true mid-majors that appeal as an at-large, we are looking at objectively the worst bubble in March Madness history.

And while debates could be made for many teams, we are here to tell you that the Stanford Cardinal is the team to pick.

Per ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, there are 16 teams on the bubble, with only eight that can make it in. Those 16 teams are NC State, Santa Clara, UCF, Miami OH, VCU, Missouri, SMU, Texas, Oklahoma, San Diego State, Auburn, New Mexico, Indiana, Cincinnati, and Seton Hall. And, of course, Stanford.

Head coach Kyle Smith laid out his own case for the Cardinal to make the tournament earlier this week, ultimately saying he'd be surprised if his program wasn't playing in the NCAA tournament. Today, we lay out our case.

Stanford's case for making the NCAA tournament

Where Stanford truly stands out amongst these teams is their quad one performances. The Cardinal this season have five quad one wins, beating North Carolina and Louisville at home, St. Louis at a neutral site, and Virginia Tech and NC State on the road.

Of the 15 other teams on the bubble, three teams have an equal number of quad one wins, with NC State, UCF, and Missouri, all with five. The only team above this group is Texas with six of their own.

This matters a ton when it comes to March Madness. When you play in a tournament with some of the best teams in the country, almost every single game is considered quad one. In other words, wouldn’t you want the teams that are best suited to take on the best programs in the country?

In addition, the March Madness deciders should look for teams that can get upsets, or teams that can go on Cinderella runs. At the very least, teams that can cause a little drama. Of the 15 teams on the bubble, there are only nine that have multiple quad one wins, meaning they haven’t just beaten great teams, they have beaten the best of the best. Stanford is amongst those teams.

Finally, March is all about guard play, and which ones can step up the most. And of all bubble teams, Stanford has not only the best guard, but one of the best players in college basketball, Ebuka Okorie. If you want the best players in March Madness, look for Okorie, who can do it all against any opponent.

He's the type of player that could go off like Steph Curry with Davidson, which launched his NBA career on the national level.

In reality, there is only one fair argument to make against Stanford. And that’s the fact that they have four quad three losses, more than any team on the bubble. However, as we mentioned before, you aren’t playing decent teams in the March Madness, you are playing the best of the best. There will be no quad three teams to play in the NCAA tournament.

There are many solidly deserving teams on the bubble this year., including NC State, Auburn and Santa Clara. Some of these teams have proven that they could compete in the Madness this year. But Stanford is certainly one to watch out for.

They have done a solid job in the ACC, going 9-9. They have 20 wins this season, opposed to just 12 losses. They have won big games at home, while also performing on the road despite far travel.

If you're looking for a team that has the potential to go on a run in the tournament and also offers an emerging yet underrated star of college basketball, then look no further than the Stanford Cardinal.

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