2024 March Madness: The 2023-2024 college basketball regular season is careening toward its dramatic crescendo on Selection Sunday, but the NCAA Tournament bracket remains impossible to predict. Preseason power rankings have been rendered useless, as traditional contenders falter and unexpected sides rise to the forefront. Nearly every conference has a bewildering race for their automatic bid unfolding. From projected #1 seed to historic cellar dwellers, no program’s March Madness fate is sealed yet, making it a prime scenario for enthusiasts looking to engage with the best betting online site.
Top-Ranked Gonzaga in Precarious Position
The extreme scenario of Gonzaga Bulldogs missing March Madness was previously unthinkable. The Bulldogs haven’t been left out since 1998. But this year’s 13-5 record has them hovering worryingly close to the bubble. Gonzaga usually breezes through WCC play, but unexpected conference losses have put their NCAA-record 17 straight Sweet Sixteen appearances in jeopardy.
A February 10th date at Rupp Arena against Kentucky looms large. A win would provide a Quad 1 road victory to pad their resume. A loss could spell disaster, especially if they also stumble against the likes of Saint Mary’s or San Francisco in league play. For once, the Zags find themselves scoreboard watching as much as bid stealing as February winds down.
2024 March Madness: ACC Elite Thinning
Gonzaga isn’t the only decorated program sweating. Perennial powerhouse conferences are underwhelming this season as well. The ACC has averaged six tournament teams over the past 14 years, but may only send three this March: North Carolina, Duke and Clemson. Defending conference tournament champion Virginia Tech is among those hanging around the cut line.
It’s a perplexing downward trend over the last decade for a league that recently dominated March Madness. ACC teams claimed national titles in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. But their 2024 outlook is bleak unless someone steps up down the regular season’s home stretch. Wake Forest and Syracuse are among ACC squads needing significant pushes to fortify the conference’s measly projected representation.
Big Ten and Pac-12 Mysteries
The Big Ten projects to have some eyebrow-raising inclusions and omissions among its NCAA Tournament teams too. Nebraska and Northwestern sit surprisingly comfortable while basketball bluebloods Michigan, Ohio State, Iowa and Indiana face longer odds to make it. After years of the league powerhouses pummeling them, the Cornhuskers and Wildcats are now poised to deliver a rude welcome to the Big Ten Tournament.
Meanwhile, West Coast staples UCLA and USC are also marked as tentative in most bracketologies. The Bruins and Trojans own a combined 5-11 conference record. Unless they hastily capture the Pac-12 Tournament crown, their March Madness trips could conclude before ever getting out of Los Angeles. Such a development would add more wreckage upon the Pac-12’s ugly 2024 narrative.
Mid-Major Madness
All this instability among heavyweight conferences opens the door for some captivating mid-major drama. The ripening possibility of first-time NCAA Tournament wonders creates even more Selection Sunday suspense. Samford’s fairy tale ride under alum Bucky McMillan has them dreaming big at 17-2. Greg Kampe has quietly led Oakland for four decades without a Big Dance showing. Now his 12-8 Golden Grizzlies have their sights set on crashing the party.
You can find more hopeful contenders all across the bracketology landscape. Princeton is making Ivy League history with a perfect 8-0 conference record. Down south, McNeese boasts one of the nation’s longest win streaks behind new head coach Will Wade. After years of cruelty, March 2024 could see destiny’s shine grace the likes of Indiana State, South Carolina, Delaware State and more with their inaugural tournament trips.
Behind each of those untested teams lies hungry fanbases longing for the shining Big Dance stage. As the final projected bracket takes shape, their anxious eyes will watch the reveal of those precious automatic qualifier lines. Will this finally be their year?
Absent Powers and Perplexing Questions
Conversely, some traditional mainstays face the terror of hearing their name left uncalled on Selection Sunday. Beyond Gonzaga and the ACC’s unusual struggles, the Big East could deliver one of the tournament’s longest-running powers: a crushing cold shoulder. DePaul hasn’t made it since 2004 or strung together a winning conference record in 16 years.
The absence of the once-feared Blue Demons has become a numbing norm. But nearby Seton Hall and Marquette both have work left to feel secure this March. Even Hall of Fame stalwarts like Jim Boeheim (Syracuse) and Mike Brey (Notre Dame) are stuck playing catch up down the regular season’s final stretch after unforeseen swoons.
Can Louisville overcome their 6-13 implosion to make the Madness? Will one of the directional Miami’s mount the charge necessary to participate? And if Cinderella squads do steal bids, which Goliath will fall victim to their slingshots come tip-off time?
The last leg of college basketball’s regular season promises to deliver captivating chaos, ripe with March Madness betting picks. Bid stealing possibilities and bubble bursting loom large with each passing game, offering a goldmine for astute March Madness betting picks. Top tier teams try to stay the course as underdogs take aim at transforming from slug to March Madness juggernaut. The only guarantee once the bracket drops will be three weeks of utterly intoxicating hysteria, a paradise for those keen on making March Madness betting picks. We wouldn’t want it any other way.
Hilbert Mayer
Sports Writer
Hilbert Mayer is a professional sports writer, betting analyst, and content strategist with over 15 years of experience in the sports industry. Before focusing on sports betting analysis and handicapping, Hilbert worked as a sports writer for various news outlets, covering everything from game recaps to in-depth matchup features. Today, he specializes in MLB, NFL, March Madness, and UFC betting, combining his journalistic background with deep statistical expertise and real-world betting insights. His proven track record, sharp reads, and ability to break down complex matchups make him a trusted voice among both casual bettors and seasoned sharps.
Published on: February 29, 2024
Last updated: March 29, 2025