To follow Butler, the Wichita State Shockers were the next mid-major to explode onto the NCAA Tournament scene. In 2013, under coach Gregg Marshall, they finished 30-9 in the regular season with a nERD of 12.74 via their top-50 defense (94.3 defensive rating).

The Shockers failed to win the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, so they received an at-large bid as a 9 seed. They were given quite a tough road, though, first facing the Pittsburgh Panthers in a dreaded 8/9 matchup. They won the game going away, and then surprised everyone with a six-point win over the Gonzaga Bulldogs before knocking off La Salle and Ohio State in the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight, respectively.

With only four teams remaining, Wichita State came face-to-face with Louisville, who proved just too much for the Shockers. Louisville ended up winning the national title, so that's nothing to be ashamed of.