NCAA Tournament March Madness

#81 Appalachian St

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Projection: likely out

When breaking down Appalachian State's season, the win over a high-profile opponent like Auburn stands out as a significant feather in their cap, hinting at what this team can do when it's firing on all cylinders. However, several losses to lower-ranked teams, particularly the ones against Northern Illinois, UNC Asheville, and Troy, could be seen as red flags, softening the impact of their otherwise strong record. While they've shown themselves capable of taking down strong teams like James Madison on more than one occasion, the inconsistencies that bubble up against lower-ranked competition raise questions about their ability to consistently compete at a high level. This is further complicated by the less-than-impressive offense rankings and a defense that, while solid, isn't quite elite. Their standing could be improved with a deep run in the Sun Belt tournament, demonstrating that they can stay consistent when it counts, but as it stands, their resume shows a team that, while certainly talented and capable of upsets, has missed several opportunities to more firmly establish themselves as a lock for the tournament.

Date Opponent Ranking Outcome
11/11@N Illinois295L91-78
11/14@Oregon St147L81-71
11/21(N)UNC Wilmington117W86-56
11/22(N)Murray St158W67-57
11/26Austin Peay203W78-58
11/29ETSU167W72-61
12/3Auburn4W69-64
12/13@Queens NC248W93-81
12/16(N)Gardner Webb201W80-59
12/21(N)UNC Asheville156L76-63
12/30ULM292W67-55
1/4@South Alabama217W91-84
1/6@Troy131L66-62
1/11@Coastal Car315W70-45
1/13@James Madison51W59-55
1/17Georgia St228W76-68
1/20Coastal Car315W88-59
1/25Ga Southern280W84-74
1/27James Madison51W82-76
2/1@Georgia St228W81-71
2/3@Ga Southern280W85-84
2/7@Texas St169L63-56
2/10Toledo136W109-104
2/15Marshall225W73-58
2/17Louisiana145W85-73
2/22@Old Dominion296W82-67
2/24@Marshall225W65-58
2/28Old Dominion296W89-64
3/1Arkansas St129W80-57
3/9(N)Ga Southern280W85-80
3/10(N)Arkansas St129L67-65