Dreams came true on Selection Sunday as hundreds of players and coaches found out they will be heading to the NCAA Tournament.
In all, 36 at-large teams were selected to join the 32 teams already in the field via automatic bid. For the rest of the nation, hopes of playing on college basketball's ultimate stage were erased.
Most teams that came up short already knew they weren't going to be selected. As always, though, some teams entered Sunday with hope and never heard their name called.
The pain might be long-lasting for the four teams that narrowly missed the field of 68. The NCAA reveals the first four out, in order, adding insult to injury for teams that might have just needed one more win to sneak in.
MORE: March Madness bracket: Full schedule, TV channels, scores for 2023 NCAA Tournament games
The Sporting News breaks down why the first four out missed the NCAA Tournament this year.
Why Oklahoma State missed the NCAA Tournament
Oklahoma State was a victim of a loaded Big 12. While the Cowboys finished with a winning overall record and finished ahead of tournament team West Virginia in the Big 12, they lost five of their last six regular season games and just didn't have impressive wins to support their case.
Oklahoma State's best non-conference wins were Sam Houston State, Wichita State, and Ole Miss. All three missed the NCAA Tournament. The Cowboys went a combined 0-9 against Kansas, Baylor, Texas, and Kansas State.
West Virginia was able to make the field by avoiding bad losses and earning a couple big wins. Mike Boynton's team didn't have strong enough wins to overcome a mediocre record and ended Selection Sunday as the first team out.
MORE: March Madness bracket, explained: How the field of 68 teams is seeded for NCAA Tournament
Why Rutgers missed the NCAA Tournament
Rutgers was the biggest surprise of Selection Sunday. While the Scarlet Knights played themselves onto the bubble down the stretch, it was believed that a Big Ten Tournament win over Michigan followed by a close loss to Purdue would be enough for this team to find its way into the field.
Rutgers finished 19-14 (10-10 in Big Ten play), losing six of its last eight regular season games. That stretch included three losses to teams who didn't make the field (Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska). Three of the Scarlet Knights' non-conference losses were against teams outside the field of 68 as well.
Strong conference wins, including victories over Purdue, Indiana Northwestern, Maryland, and Michigan State, were nearly enough to push Rutgers into the field, but Steve Pikiell's team will instead be heading to the NIT.
Rutgers was projected as high as a No. 5 seed early in Big Ten play.
MORE: March Madness printable bracket: Download a free, blank 2023 NCAA Tournament bracket PDF here
Why North Carolina missed the NCAA Tournament
Not seeing North Carolina in the field is jarring, considering they entered the season ranked No. 1 in the nation and have been a mainstay in March for decades. It's jarring, but it's not surprising today. In fact, it might be a surprise that the Tar Heels even made it into the first four out.
North Carolina's body of work was just too plain for the committee to seriously consider the reigning runners-up. At 20-13 (11-9 in the ACC), the Tar Heels didn't have many bad losses but didn't have nearly enough significant wins. Their only Quad 1 win was a home victory over Virginia.
What looked like significant non-conference wins over Ohio State and Michigan didn't end up meaning much by March with both the Buckeyes and Wolverines missing the NCAA Tournament. If anything, North Carolina's best win outside of Virginia might have come against CAA champion Charleston in the second game of the season.
The Tar Heels had a similar resume for much of last season before surging ahead in the final few weeks of the season. That surge never happened this season, and North Carolina is headed home early.
MORE: Timeline of the Tar Heels' first NCAA Tournament miss since 2010
Why Clemson missed the NCAA Tournament
In an ordinary year, an ACC team that finished 23-10 and 14-6 in conference play would be a lock. That wasn't the case for Clemson.
A weak ACC hurt the Tigers, leaving them with limited chances for impact wins. Clemson did manage wins over NC State, Duke, Pittsburgh, and Penn State (non-conference), but the small handful of impressive wins was outweighed by some of the Tigers' bad losses.
Clemson inexplicably lost to 4-28 Louisville, also dropping games against Boston College, Loyola-Chicago, South Carolina, and Florida State.
With bad losses and few notable wins, Clemson's 23 victories were overshadowed by other bubble teams who had more substance to their resumes.