Deadspin’s 2023 Men’s NCAA Tournament Automatic Bid Tracker

The Men’s NCAA Tournament is simply over the horizon and as its 32 computerized bids are earned in rapid-fire over the following week, it may be an excessive amount of to trace by yourself. That’s what this house is for. One of those 32 computerized bids from a smaller convention is more likely to turn into a Cinderella, however first gaining entry into the ball is the precedence. Check out Deadspin’s 2023 NCAA Tournament’s computerized bids tracker and a quick breakdown of every auto-bid workforce as we shut in on subsequent weekend’s Selection Sunday.

Fairleigh Dickinson

Conference: Northeastern Conference

In simply his first season, Fairleigh Dickinson coach Tobin Anderson led his squad again from their 4-22 marketing campaign in 2022 to the No. 2 seed within the Southeastern Conference Tournament. They have been the primary computerized bid to the NCAA Tournament as a result of Merrimack, the NEC common season champs and convention championship opponent, stay ineligible for the Big Dance whereas finishing their four-year reclassification course of as they transition from Division II. This workforce makes completely no sense. Logically, they shouldn’t be right here.

Their beginning backcourt consists of 5-foot-8 Demetre Roberts and 5-foot-9 Grant Singleton and in response to KenPom, they’re the second-shortest faculty basketball workforce since 2007, when the positioning started monitoring dimension knowledge. Their tallest rotation gamers are 6-foot-6 and, as a workforce, they rank 331st nationally in blocks per recreation.

Southeast Missouri State

Conference: Ohio Valley Conference

The Redhawks marched to the Ohio Valley Conference Title Game a fifth seed, then earned their first tourney bid because the 2000 season with an extra time win over Tennessee Tech. The OVC is so small, it just lately merged its soccer membership with the Big South Conference.

Brad Korn’s Redhawks are one of many fastest-paced offenses within the nation in response to tempo, in addition to fastbreak metrics and 5-foot-10 sophomore level guard Phillip Russell is the tip of their spear. On the draw back, they’re not all that environment friendly on the offensive finish both.

North Carolina-Asheville

Conference: Big South Conference

Big South Player of the Year Drew Pember is a 6-foot-10 risk from wherever on the ground. UNC-Asheville defeated the Fighting Camels of Campbell in a tightly contested convention title recreation, which is an actual disgrace as a result of one other workforce named the Bulldogs goes to get misplaced in a area of 68 and makes it more durable for novice bracketologists to make their picks primarily based on animal mascots.

Drake

Conference: Missouri Valley Conference

The winners of Arch Madness have a historical past of constructing noise within the event, however that is solely Drake’s third NCAA Tournament look in 15 years. Two of these three have occurred within the 5 years since head coach Darian DeVries turned their sideline basic. Drake obtained right here on the again of a protection that ranks within the high 25 in defensive effectivity.

Their offensive firepower derives from 6-foot-7 ahead Tucker DeVries, who bears a putting resemblance to his head coach. Tucker isn’t beginning simply because his pops controls everybody’s scholarships although.

The aforementioned Tucker DeVries is the MVC Player of the Year and an NBA prospect who hoops like your typical coach’s son. He doesn’t waste actions or dribbles and his jumper connects with nets softly from wherever on the ground. Also, his final identify is pronounced extra like Da-Vreeze, and fewer like Devry (University), which is ideal as a result of he’s a cold-blooded shooter and the main scorer for the Bulldogs.

Kennesaw State

Conference: ASUN

In Sunday’s Atlantic Sun remaining, senior guard Terrell Burden drained a free throw with 0.7 seconds left in regulation to elevate the top-seeded Owls over Liberty and have become the fifth workforce to punch their ticket for the event. This is particular for the Kennesaw State program. Not solely have the Owls never gone dancing into March Madness till now, however that is their first successful season since transitioning to Division I at the start of the 2009–10 marketing campaign. The Owls aren’t led by a singular expertise, however head coach Amir Abdur-Rahim, 41, has a well-known identify. His brother Shareef Abdur-Rahim was one of many biggest prep basketball gamers to ever rise out of the state of Georgia. Amir took over a Kennesaw State program in shambles, misplaced 28 video games throughout his first season, and has created a brand new tradition.

Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns

Conference: Sun Belt

The Ragin’ Cajuns are going dancing for the primary time since Elfrid Payton and his Basquiat hairdo led Louisiana-Lafayette into March Madness. Bob Marlin, the coach of that 2014 squad remains to be stalking the sidelines for UL-Lafayette, however this squad doesn’t boast a first-round decide at level guard.

This time round, Louisiana’s main scorer is ahead Jordan Brown, who transferred from the University of Arizona two years in the past. The majority of Marlin’s roster today consists of transfers like Brown. Sophomore level guard Themus Fulks transferred from Dodge City Community College — after beginning his collegiate profession at South Carolina State, Terence Lewis shuttled in from Jackson State, and senior guard Greg Williams, Jr. transferred from St. John’s. The Cajuns unfold the wealth and rating in bunches, rating third within the Sun Belt in scoring, high 50 nationally, and are projected as a 13 or 14-seed within the males’s event. However, the 6-foot-11 Brown is an imposing inside power who can take management of a contest when matched up in opposition to smaller frontcourts.

Furman Paladins

Conference: Southern Conference

Furman’s run because the wire-to-wire favourite within the Southern Conference concluded on Tuesday evening with a convincing victory over the Chattanooga Mocs they’d been ready almost a 12 months for. Last March, it was the identical Chattanooga workforce that shocked Furman with a buzzer-beater in extra time of the convention title recreation, then have been touted as a possible Cinderella earlier than almost toppling Illinois.

The Paladins reside and die by the 3-pointer, taking extra triples than any workforce within the nation by way of Monday evening. However, in addition they boast one of many highest effectivity area aim percentages (which weights 2-pointers and 3-pointers extra closely) within the nation as a result of they rating inside with exceptional effectivity and infrequently flip the ball over, sitting on the point of the top-10 in assist-turnover ratio. Led by their main scorers Jalen Slawson and Mike Bothwell, the Paladins rank second within the nation in 2-point capturing share. Bob Richey’s groups have been within the thick of the race for the SoCon computerized bid for the previous few years and now that they’ve this chance, Furman may be a handful for whoever is pitted in opposition to them first.

Gonzaga

Conference: West Coast Conference

Drew Timme turned this system’s all-time main scorer throughout Tuesday evening’s WCC Conference Championship recreation, which is an ideal metaphor for this upper-class-driven Zags workforce. This Gonzaga workforce remains to be a top-10 unit, however missing in freshman phenom expertise. As a consequence, they’ve been out of focus this season. Saint Mary’s truly shared the common season West Coast Conference title, however the Zags left little doubt of their 26-point demolition of the Gaels. Junior ahead Julian Strawther is a reputation the nation ought to be taught quickly. The best-scoring offense within the nation will enter the event on a 9-game-losing streak, though they’re solely 3-4 in opposition to ranked groups, which doesn’t portend good issues for his or her aspirations of occurring one other Final Four run.

Charleston Cougars

Conference: Colonial Athletic Association

One of the most effective offensive groups within the nation blasted the sector en path to their convention championship. These Cougars have been adequate to earn an at-large bid, so by taking good care of enterprise, an additional bubble workforce will probably be granted entry into the 68-team area. Pat Kelsey has constructed the consummate “play for the name on the front of your jersey, not the name on the back” groups and it reveals. They have 5 gamers in uniform who common double-digit scoring nightly and their high points-generator tops out at 12.3 factors per recreation, however they dominate on the boards. The star may be their program architect, Kelsey, who just lately signed an extension because of the program’s rightful issues that he’d be lured away for a extra high-profile job.

Oral Roberts Eagles

Conference: Summit League

Two years after Max Abmas took the Eagles on a magic carpet journey to the Sweet 16, he’s again for extra. The 30-4 Eagles completed 18-0 in league play and gained the ultimate by 34 factors over North Dakota State. Abmas is flanked by Oral Roberts’ second-leading scorer, 7-foot-5 heart Connor Vanover, and Isaac McBride’s slick capturing. Oral Roberts manifests factors at a prolific price, rating third nationally in scoring and behind Vanover’s publish protection, are a SWAT workforce, blocking the fifth-most photographs within the nation.

North Kentucky Norse

Conference: Horizon League

Ah, the Norse of North Kentucky. No, this isn’t the place New Asgard is positioned. North Kentucky is a March Madness stowaway who gained 22 video games and earned the third seed within the one-bid Horizon League’s convention event. Get to know the identify Marques Warrick. He’s the Norse’s steadiest starter and smoothest scorer. North Kentucky is a miniature workforce. Senior Chris Brandon is their most bodily frontcourt physique, however measures in at solely 6-foot-8. But don’t make the error of considering it is a workforce that performs at a breakneck tempo and tries to outscore their opponents. In addition to being a small squad, North Kentucky performs at one of many slowest paces within the nation.

Colgate

Conference: Patriot League

Colgate will probably be using into the event for the third consecutive 12 months because the Patriot League Conference Tournament champion after blitzing by way of their convention schedule, almost going undefeated in convention play, eliminating Army within the semis (that’s not very patriotic)and Lafayette within the remaining. Offensively, Colgate brings the fireworks. Colgate is No. 1 nationally in efficient area aim share and 3-point share in response to Ken Pom’s superior metrics. Their regular chief is 6-foot-5 senior wing Tucker Richardson, who just lately turned the primary participant to ever sweep Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in the identical season. This would be the fifth-year senior’s swan music after one of the crucial distinguished careers within the annals of Patriot League basketball and what higher approach to exit than by taking the event by storm?

Texas A&M Corpus Christi

Conference: Southland

The Islanders of Corpus Christi are returning to the event with extra tourney expertise than their 2022 squad which obtained bounced expeditiously as a 16-seed. Their top-three main scorers from final 12 months, Isaac Mushila, Trey Tennyson, and Terrion Murdix all returned and it confirmed on their approach to a 23-10 common season title. For that purpose, the Islanders ought to have a way of familiarity after they make their 2023 Conference Tournament debut. For a program that began enjoying Division I basketball in 1999, the following step is to tug off an upset.

Montana State

Conference: Big Sky

With a reputation like RaeQuan Battle, the Montana State guard is one large recreation away from changing into a event legend. He’s additionally the Bobcat’s main scorer. Montana State’s tremendous senior large Jubrile Belo was the primary scholarship supply head coach Danny Sprinkle made when he accepted the job in 2018 and is among the most completed gamers in convention event historical past. Together, they have been the driving forces behind Montana State this season. The pair got here up quick of their pursuit of the common season convention event title, nonetheless, they’ll be getting into the lads’s event on an eight-game successful streak after securing their second-straight computerized bid.