INDIANAPOLIS ? A capsule look at teams that were left out of the 2008 NCAA tournament
after appearing last year:

Florida:
The two-time defending national champions had an 18-game postseason winning
streak, the longest since the UCLA dynasty, end at the SEC tournament in
Atlanta. On Sunday, the Gators’ run of nine straight NCAA appearances also
ended after they went 21-11 against a soft schedule. It’s the first time since
Kansas in 1989 that the defending champ missed the field, and those Jayhawks
were on tournament probation.

Ohio
State: The Buckeyes lost their two best players and most of their top scorers
after getting to the national championship game last season. Ohio State’s young
team struggled early against one of the nation’s toughest schedules. Yes, they
improved during the season and won 19 games. But the mediocre Big Ten couldn’t
get a fifth bid, making it the first time since 1980 that both teams from the
previous NCAA title game were left out.

Boston
College: The Eagles were one of the ACC’s top teams the last couple of seasons
and appeared to be headed toward another strong season this year. Losing 13 of
their final 15 games changed everything, leaving Boston College with a 14-17
mark and out of the tournament.

Creighton:
Missouri Valley Conference teams had been all the rage the last two seasons.
Not this year. Creighton’s 21-10 mark wasn’t enough for an eighth NCAA
appearance in nine years.

Georgia
Tech: Early season losses to North Carolina-Greensboro and Winthrop were a
precursor of what was to come for the young Yellow Jackets. They finished
strong, winning four-of-six, but a 15-17 record gave them no chance of making
the field.

Illinois:
The 2005 national runner-up struggled with a young roster this season, losing
13 games by eight or fewer points. As usual, Illinois played well in the Big
Ten tourney, winning three times in three days. But they needed four wins in
four days to make it after going 12-18 during the regular season.

Maryland:
The 2002 national champions were done in by inconsistency. They lost
back-to-back home games against Ohio University and American, then won three
straight road games in the ACC. That season-long pattern continued in the
conference tournament where the Terrapins (18-14) were knocked out by Boston
College. Maryland, seeded fourth in last year’s tournament, went out in the
second round to Butler.

Miami
(Ohio): The RedHawks, a two-point loser to Oregon in the first round last year,
finished 17-15 and without their coach, Charlie Coles, who was in the hospital
after undergoing a heart procedure.

Nevada:
The 2004 NCAA tournament darling when it reached the regional semifinals, ended
its streak of four straight NCAA appearances.

Southern
Illinois: The Salukis spent the past few years in the role of being a favorite
to upset the big boys. They won’t get that chance this season after reaching
the regional semifinals twice since 2002, including last year. The absence ends
their run of consecutive NCAA trips at six.

Texas Tech: The Red Raiders slim hopes slipped away after
Bob Knight’s resignation in February. His successor and son, Pat, went 4-7
after the midseason change. And even though Texas Tech finished 16-15, it
wasn’t good enough.

Virginia:
A 15-15 record wasn’t nearly good enough, and the seven-game losing streak in
January and February ended their final hopes. Any questions? The athletic
department even announced Saturday it had accepted a bid to the new CBI
tournament ? if it wasn’t selected for the NIT.

Virginia
Tech: The Hokies (19-13) wanted the committee to look at its ACC tourney
performance against No. 1 North Carolina on Saturday. Instead they looked at an
RPI rating of 58 and a 5-5 record over the last 10 games. The Hokies were
eliminated in the second round last year by Southern Illinois.

Virginia
Commonwealth: Apparently, 24 wins and a regular-season conference championship
weren’t enough to impress the committee. VCU, which upset Duke in the first
round last year, will have to settle for the NIT.

ALSO
OUT: Albany, Central Connecticut State, Florida A&M, George Washington,
Holy Cross, Eastern Kentucky, Jackson State, Long Beach State, New Mexico
State, Niagara, North Texas, Old Dominion, Penn, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi,
Weber State, Wright State