NBK 2022: Pre-Penultimate Weekend

As we head into the last weekend of the regular season for the big conferences, and the first automatic bids start rolling in for the littles, teams are starting to make some moves in the NBK – those schools who have never made the Sweet Sixteen — Never Been Kissed — in all the years since the NCAA tournament expanded to 64 teams back in 1985.

TCU is our prime mover, jumping 15 spots in the KenPom after a big win over kansas at home, followed by a close loss at the very same kansas. Toledo has two blowout wins already this week and a head of steam going into the MAC. Conversely, UC Irvine stumbled at Cal Poly and has now lost two of three.

Big Ten movers: goodbye Northwestern, hello Rutgers! The Wildcats stagger toward the finish line and an uncertain future for Chris Collins, while the Scarlet Knights pick up a big roadie at Indiana to halt a three-game losing streak.

Sun Belt movers: goodbye South Alabama, hello Texas St! The Bobcats beat the Jags on Tuesday night and Troy on Friday to clinch the top spot in the Sun Belt.

In other NBK news, Towson has a 50.1% chance of winning the Colonial, and Vermont has an 80.4%(!) shot in the America East. Look for Towson, South Dakota St., and Vermont to jockey for seventh or even sixth in the NBK by this time next week.

NBK rankings on Friday night 3/4/2022. KenPom Conf Tourney Odds via Twitter. ESPN Bracketology as of 3/4/2022 at 7:00 A.M. ET.

Data courtesy Kenpom.com and ESPN Bracketology and NCAA.com