College Basketball: 10 Teams That Will Be Back After Missing the 2011 Tournament

Few sports offer more of a chance to their underdogs than college basketball, but a team has to make the NCAA tournament before scoring upsets in it. For the teams that miss out on the big dance, there’s no higher priority than making it back to the field of 68 the next year.

Some teams have less to prove than others. Wichita State, with most of its 2011 NIT championship squad back for another year, will be in a great position to take home the Missouri Valley title and return to the NCAA field this season.

Read on for a look at the Shockers and the rest of the top teams that will find themselves enjoying March Madness in 2012 after a year (or more) on the outside.

10. Alabama

Many Tide fans would argue that Alabama shouldn’t be on this list, because the team deserved to make the tournament last spring. After seeing its bubble burst and settling for a run to the NIT championship game, ‘Bama will be back and hungry in 2011-12.

The squad boasts a dangerous Big Three with point guard Trevor Releford (3.4 assists a game) and forwards Tony Mitchell (15.4 points, 7.1 rebounds) and JaMychal Green (16 points, 7.3 boards).

Even against the powers of the SEC East, the Tide could steal a game or two if that trio plays up to its potential.

9. Baylor

Ordinarily, the loss of LaceDarius Dunn’s 19.5 points a game would seal the fate of a Baylor team whose bubble popped early in the Big 12 tournament last season. For the 2011-12 Bears though, the story is all about the player they didn’t lose.

At 6’11”, Perry Jones, suspended for that conference tournament loss, is back to improve on his brilliant freshman season (13.9 points, 7.2 rebounds a game).

He’ll headline the Big 12’s deepest frontcourt (Quincy Acy, Anthony Jones, freshman Quincy Miller) and lead Baylor on a run at the conference title.

8. Wichita State

Experienced leadership is always at a premium in mid-major conferences, and Wichita State will have plenty of it. Five seniors will anchor the defending NIT champs, led by 7’0” center Garrett Stutz.

Leading scorer J.T. Durley is gone, but the next five top-point producers are back, including 6’5” Toure’ Murry, the squad’s assists leader at 3.3 per game.

Defending MVC tournament champion Indiana State is also a tough, experienced team, but the Shockers have the depth and talent to take home the conference crown this year.

7. Mississippi State

If Mississippi State is looking for a role model for their 2011-12 season, conference rival Georgia wouldn’t be a bad choice. Those Bulldogs rode two superlative players (NBA-bound Trey Thompkins and Travis Leslie) to an NCAA tournament bid last spring.

This year’s MSU squad will rely on a pair of players who struggled with off-court issues in 2010-11: PF Renardo Sidney (14.2 points, 7.6 rebounds per game) and PG Dee Bost (15.3 points, 6.2 assists a night in half a season).

With those two stalwarts to carry them, a new group of SEC Bulldogs should be dancing next March.

6. California

The departures of stars like Derrick Williams and Isaiah Thomas leave the Pac-12 wide open in its inaugural season. The Golden Bears may not be the flashiest of the conference contenders, but they have experience to burn.

All five starters return for Cal, led by seniors Harper Kamp (14.3 points and 5.6 rebounds a night) and Jorge Gutierrez (14.3 points, Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year honors).

With Minnesota transfer Justin Cobbs arriving to run the point—and allowing Gutierrez to focus on scoring—the Golden Bears will be a team to be reckoned with in 2011-12.

5. Kent State

A one-point upset by Akron in the MAC tournament final kept the Golden Flashes out of last season’s NCAAs. With four starters back from a team that finished 25-12, Kent State will get back to doing some bracket-busting of its own this March.

Senior leadership from Justin Greene (15.9 points and 8.5 rebounds a game) and Michael Porrini (4.4 assists a night) will make the Golden Flashes a legitimate upset threat.

More importantly, the squad's upperclassmen should be able to ensure that Kent State makes it out of conference play this time around.

4. Harvard

Defending Ivy champion Princeton nearly knocked off Kentucky last March, but the Tigers lose two key starters, including leading scorer Kareem Maddox. Meanwhile, the Harvard team that fell to Princeton by a single point in a one-game playoff returns its entire starting lineup for 2011-12.

Point guard Brandyn Curry ranked 17th in the nation with 5.9 assists a game last season, helping five of his teammates average double figures in scoring.

With Curry outside and 6’8” Keith Wright (14.9 points and 8.4 rebounds a night) inside, Tommy Amaker's Crimson will be front-runners for the Ivy title.

3. Minnesota

The Golden Gophers have some question marks in the backcourt, where sophomores Maverick Ahanmisi and Austin Hollins will have to take on bigger roles. Up front, though, Minnesota could be the toughest team in the Big Ten.

High-flying junior Rodney Williams has unlimited potential if he puts everything together this year, and 6'11" center Ralph Sampson III has developed into a shot-blocker who does credit to his famous father.

The star, though, will be senior PF Trevor Mbakwe, the Big Ten’s rebounding leader (10.5 a night), who will look to build on his 13.9 points and 1.5 blocks a game from last year.

2. St. Mary's

The Gaels have become perennial tournament contenders, but couldn’t land an at-large bid last year after losing the WCC tournament final to Gonzaga. A subsequent NIT upset by Kent State obscured what had been a very impressive season for St. Mary’s.

Star PG Mickey McConnell is gone, but every other significant contributor returns for an offense that ranked in the Top 15 nationally in scoring, assists and shooting percentage (.487 as a team).

With junior Matthew Dellavedova (yet another product of the Gaels’ Australian pipeline) ready to take over for McConnell as a playmaker, St. Mary’s has the talent to earn an NCAA berth even if the Zags win the conference tournament again.

1. Northwestern

Northwestern is the only team in any of the power conferences that has never—not once—made it to the NCAA tournament. If the Wildcats are going to break that Cubs-like streak, though, John Shurna could be the man to lead the charge.

The high-scoring senior—17.4 points a game over his last two seasons—has three other returning starters with him, including 6’11” classmate Luka Mirkovic, to anchor the middle.

Coming off the first two 20-win seasons in school history, Northwestern will have a chance to venture further into uncharted waters in 2011-12.