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Mike Marteny's 2024 NCAA Tournament busts for March Madness. His overhyped teams can help you avoid pitfalls when filling out your 2024 tournament brackets.
The field of 68 is finally out and we are on the brink of the four greatest days in any sport in any country on any continent. The NCAA Tournament is an entirely different animal, and the first four days of this behemoth are the most fun days you'll have watching sports, even if it's by yourself!
There are always a few teams that go belly-up at the most important time of the year. The 2016 Virginia Cavaliers immediately come to mind, but it seems like every year there is at least one highly-seeded team that doesn't make it past the first weekend. Purdue was easily the biggest bust last year, but Arizona also lost in the first round last year. Marquette didn't make it out of the first weekend. Who is going to bust this year?
In this article, I will be providing you with my busts for the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Be sure to also check out the rest of our NCAA Tournament articles and analysis including previews, predictions, sleepers, busts, and guides on how to fill out your brackets. Good luck, RotoBallers!
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West Region Tournament Busts
(1) North Carolina
This is not a great draw for Carolina. With Tom Izzo waiting in the second round and maybe Alabama in the regional semis, a Final Four run seems unlikely. This could be an elite team, but conference losses to Clemson, Syracuse, and Georgia Tech show that their floor is the basement.
(2) Arizona
They lost to Princeton (hey...they were a Sweet 16 team!) in the first round last year. Long Beach State might be good enough to beat them, but Dayton or Nevada is definitely good enough. I don't see Arizona making it out of the first weekend this year, either.
South Region Tournament Busts
(2) Marquette
The two seed is a blessing. Getting Western Kentucky and Florida in your pod is not. All three teams in Marquette's pod could beat them, and Indianapolis is about as far from Bowling Green as it is from Milwaukee. The Hilltopper faithful are going to rock the house.
(5) Wisconsin
I know...the seed dictates that the Badgers aren't expected to make it out of the first weekend anyway. Does flaming out in the first round count as a bust? Yes? I rest my case.
JAMES MADISON (+1150 ML) WITH A DAGGER TO TAKE DOWN #4 MICHIGAN STATE ?
COLLEGE BASKETBALL IS SO BACK. pic.twitter.com/WbAyFQFIVS
— br_betting (@br_betting) November 7, 2023
East Region Tournament Busts
(2) Iowa State
To be clear, I don't see Iowa State losing, but they got a rough pod. Drake is closer to Omaha than Iowa State is. Brookings, South Dakota is about the same distance away as Iowa State. A lot of the crowd will be against the Cyclones (not me...I like the way they play). That can get to higher seeds. Just look at what Norfolk State did to Missouri in Omaha in 2012.
(3) Illinois
First, the Illini get a hot-shooting Morehead State team. If they survive that, one of the best six seeds in recent memory (BYU) awaits. Good luck, guys. You're going to need it.
Midwest Region Tournament Busts
(1) Purdue
Do I even need to say this again? Big Ten officials coddle Zach Edey. NCAA Tournament officials do not. That's why the Boilermakers have had early exits in each of the last two years, and why they won't make the second weekend again. Montana State could give them fits and 2023 Montana State in Utah State uniforms will finish them off if the Bobcats can't.
Foul on Tyler Wahl for not just getting out of Zach Edey’s way pic.twitter.com/b7290FeuRH
— Bad Sports Refs (@BadSportsRefs) March 16, 2024
(4) Kansas
Even before the injuries to Kevin McCullar Jr. and Hunter Dickinson, Kansas was a flawed team. They get less than 12 points per game off the bench and it has been even worse since Johnny Furphy joined the starting lineup. If McCullar and Dickinson are both healthy, they can make a run. Kansas beat Kentucky, UConn, and Houston this year. If not...it's curtains in Round 1. Samford is a brutal draw for the Jayhawks.
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