Despite a 28-6 record that included a regular-season Missouri Valley Conference championship, Indiana State has missed out on the NCAA tournament. Josh Schertz’s squad fell just shy of the field of 68. The Sycamores were third among the first four out, and NCAA selection committee chairman Dr. Charles McClelland said five bids were stolen during the conference tournament season. One of those bids was ISU's.

When Drake beat Indiana State 84-80 in the MVC championship game on March 10, the fate of the Sycamores was in the hands of the selection committee. Indiana State spent the past seven days waiting in the clubhouse while high-major bubble teams had more opportunities to enhance their résumé.

Arch Sadness: ISU will sweat out Selection Sunday after furious rally falls short

Since the NCAA began using the NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool) in 2018-19 as its primary ranking metric for the tournament, Indiana State (29th in the NET) is the highest-ranked team not to make the NCAA tournament. North Carolina State previously held that title after being left out of the field while being ranked 33rd in the NET in 2019.

"They had a magnificent season, they had great metrics," McClelland told CBS after the bracket reveal. "But when you start to look at their nonconference, and the games that they played outside of conference, that was something that we had to take a look at. Under normal circumstances with those additional bids, they would have been in... but when you start splitting hairs you have to look at something, you have to find something and that's ultimately why they were not in the field."

Boise State (No. 27 in NET), Colorado (No. 25), Virginia (No. 54) and Colorado State (No. 36) were chosen as the last four teams in the tournament field over Indiana State. Those four teams will compete in First Four games in Dayton, Ohio on Tuesday and Wednesday for a chance to advance to the first round later in the week.

Ultimately, Indiana State finishing the season with just one Quad 1 victory played a large role in the Sycamores being left out of the tournament field. Indiana State’s lone win in the top quadrant came in an 85-77 defeat of Bradley on Dec. 4. The Sycamores lost their other four Quad 1 opportunities, including away nonconference losses to Alabama and Michigan State, who received at-large bids.

Indiana State went 12-1 in Quad 4, but that one loss was detrimental. The Sycamores fell 80-67 in a home game against Illinois State (15-17) on Feb. 17. That loss against an Illinois State team that finished in the bottom half in the MVC hindered Indiana State’s tournament hopes more than winning only one Quad 1 game.

Indiana State’s electric offense led by center Robbie Avila and a cast of great shooters wasn’t enough to offset the warts in its resume. The Sycamores will adjust their focus to the NIT after falling just short of the Big Dance.

The NIT bracket reveal is 9:30 p.m. Sunday.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana State misses March Madness, excluded from 2024 NCAA tournament