After captivating the nation with a hot 11-2 start in 2017, including a signature win at Wichita State Shockers, Trae Young and the Oklahoma Soonerssimply have looked like a different team once the calendar flipped to 2018. In the new year, the Sooners are just 7-11, including a brutal six-game losing streak in February that had some skeptics wondering if they should even make the tournament.

It is this slide that landed them in the bubble conversation despite being a top-four seed in the Committee's update just a month ago.

Their struggles down the stretch can at least partly be attributed to a tough Big-12 Conference schedule, but they also haven't been able to defend all season. According to Sports-Reference, they are ranked 241st in schedule-adjusted defensive efficiency. And now with the rest of the country keying in on Young, the offense stagnated, resulted in the February swoon.

Oklahoma will remain a tough out, especially if Young can recapture his early-season success. But for now, they are stumbling their way into the NCAA Tournament.