Army
Army was clearly the firsts team out, and thereâs a clear gap between the Black Knightsâ gripe and the next aggrieved parties: Villanova, Delaware and Navy. Armyâs best win was over Syracuse, but itâs clear that that win had less value than Loyolaâs best win â Georgetown â and the fact that the Greyhounds topped Army in the Patriot League Semifinals had an effect on the Committeeâs decision.
That being said, it doesnât sound like the decision came down to just Loyola vs. Army, but also Syracuse; those three teams competed for two spots. Committee Chair Tim Leonard acknowledged that Army had a head-to-head win over Syracuse, but they struggled to square the Orangeâs exclusion with their two wins over Virginia, the No. 4-seed.