For a men’s basketball team like Duke, with 20 straight trips, going to the N.C.A.A. tournament is a given. Other teams have waited for a return to the tournament for years: Columbia since 1968, and Rice since 1970.
But there are five teams without even ancient history to look back upon with satisfaction. William & Mary, Army, Northwestern, St. Francis of New York and the Citadel are all original members of Division I who have never managed to play in the tournament at all.
That could change this year; at least three of those teams have a real chance of breaking the jinx.