Teams that missed NCAA Tournament are leading 5 of 6 major conferences, thanks in part to transfers
Five of the six major conferences have a leader or co-leader that failed to make the NCAA Tournament last season
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Five of the six major conferences have a leader or co-leader that failed to make the NCAA Tournament last season.
That doesn’t mean this is a college basketball season full of Cinderella stories. Four of the major-conference leaders that got left out of March Madness last season have reached a Final Four within the last decade.
But those teams' early success shows how the 2021 rule change allowing players to transfer without sitting out a season has made it easier for established programs to bounce back quickly.
“A lot of kids that are coming over from different rosters are bringing in new skillsets to the team,” said St. John's transfer AJ Storr, who is scoring a team-high 15.3 points per game for No. 11 Wisconsin. “And they already have good skillsets there. They're just adding new pieces. It's like a new piece to the puzzle.”
