With every men's college basketball conference in the country shifting into league play, we've reached a bit of a dividing line in terms of team résumé-building. It's also fun to put a marker down on a few key metrics, if only as a comparison to what really matters 10 or so weeks from now.
A year ago, Rutgers was our one miss on Selection Sunday. The Scarlet Knights had a solid season, posting a combined 10-10 record in Quads 1 and 2, and winning what many thought was an elimination game over Michigan in their Big Ten tournament opener.
At the end of the day, though, the NCAA selection committee apparently could not get past the Knights' nonconference schedule ranking (314th) and the fact that seven of their 19 wins came against Quad 4 competition. Agree or disagree, the committee has been remarkably consistent over the years in separating the final at-large candidates by drilling down on this point.
So, let's take a look at the teams with something to work on -- or something to be proud of that could help their chances come March 17.
Don't say we didn't warn you
Let's start with this season's Rutgers squad. The following schools appear to have "missed the memo," as the Scarlet Knights did in 2022-23. All are potential bubble teams come Selection Sunday. Nonconference strength of schedule is noted in parentheses: