NCAA Basketball: 10 teams hurt most by NCAA Tournament cancellation

NCAA Basketball: 10 teams hurt most by 2020 NCAA Tournament cancellation

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 08: Virginia Cavaliers fans cheer on their team against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the second half during the 2019 NCAA men's Final Four National Championship game at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 08, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

4 of 11

PISCATAWAY, NJ – MARCH 03: Shaq Carter #13 and Geo Baker #0 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /

8. Rutgers

Rutgers hasn’t made an NCAA Tournament since 1991, in 2020 the Scarlet Knights were set to go dancing for the first time in nearly 30 years, but that all came crashing down with the tournament cancellation.

The Scarlet Knights had their best basketball season in nearly 30 years and now it appears as if it was all for nothing. Rutgers went 19-12 this season with a 9-11 record against quad one and two opponents.

With hopes of making a run in the B1G Tournament to solidify their spot in March Madness, Rutgers was set to be a nine seed according to Joe Lunardi.

Led by Ron Harper jr. and Geo Baker, Rutgers transformed the basketball personality at Rutgers. The good news for the Scarlet Knights is that only two of their players that played in more than five games are leaving.

This means that next year’s Rutgers team will look very similar to that of this year’s and the Scarlet Knights should be able to get back to the same position by this time next year.

Rutgers had several big wins this season including wins against Seton Hall, Penn State, Illinois and Maryland. Considering they went 7-13 in the B1G and 14-17 overall last season to 11-9 in the B1G and 19-12 overall this season says a lot about the Scarlet Knights.

The problem was that Rutgers had finished the season with a record of 4-6 in their last 10 games of the season, their worst stint of the season. There was a time that many believed the Scarlet Knights could win the B1G Tournament, but their slip at the end of the season proved that not to be true.

It was because of this stint that Rutgers sits at eighth on this list and not higher. Had they finished around 9-1 or 10-0, the Scarlet Knights might sit atop this list.

Although Rutgers didn’t officially make the 2020 NCAA Tournament, I would expect them to be back in the same spot next season and make their first tournament appearance since 1991.

Home/NCAA Basketball News