In the first two seasons of the NCAA Tournament's 68-team era, a total of eight teams from outside of the nine conferences I previewed earlier in this series earned at-large bids—three in 2011 and five in 2012. In the four tourneys since, 23 Division I conferences have only snagged six at-large tickets total. Making matters worse, those half-dozen bids have gone to just three teams: Saint Mary's once, BYU twice, and Wichita State three times, including the Shockers' 2016 First Four appearance.
Despite this trend, I've again selected two dozen mid-major squads that could earn bids if the heavens and earth align properly, which is possible in a season that looks to be top-heavy nationally.