Never-Made-the-Tourney Club: Meet Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners basketball

Who: The Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners.

Yo, that's, like, definitely just the roadrunner from the cartoons in different colors.

Fate: Thery're an independent team, so they'd have to get selected at large to make the NCAA Tournament in order to make the NCAA Tournament

Where: Bakersfield, California

Member since: 2009.

About: CSB - Cool Story Bro University transitioned to D-I in 2009 and is still figuring out the whole "conference" thing out: they'll be in the WAC next year, but this year they were still stranded one of two independents in college basketball - the other being New Orleans - which is a nice and easy way to ensure you don't make it to the NCAA Tournament. The Privateers are transitioning down to Division II from the Sun Belt, and the Roadrunenrs are looking for a home.

In college football, being independent is nice because you get to schedule whoever you want. In basketball, it means you're doomed to a weird schedule of teams that actually have conferences willing to put you on their schedule in February, which is a weird list. They played a whopping five non-Division I teams - congrats on the 114-66 win over Pacifica, and congrats to Pacifica on not being a low-level Mexican beer! For Cal State Bakersfield, it's a lot of WACsketball teams and local squads. Their season actually isn't over, as they have Seattle - formerly an independent team when they were transitioning up as well, now in the WAC - and Utah Valley - Great West, y'all - still on the schedule. CSB did manage a double overrtime win over Nate Wolters and San Diego State, so good for them, which isn't a bad highlight to a season with no hope of going dancing.

They played two games against UTSA. ROADRUNNER ON ROADRUNNER CRIME IS NOT OKAY. Y'ALL ALREADY GOT THE SOUTH DAKOTA COYOTES TO BE WORRIED ABOUT WE SHOULD ALL BE BONDING TOGETHER. Like Sacred Heart, they have their fair share of D-II success, winning the national championship three times in the 90's at that level.

Their coach is Rod Barnes, who actually was NCAA Coach of the Year in 2001 for winning 27 games at Ole Miss. Since, he's worked at Georgie State.

Anyway:

Welcome, Cal-State Bakersfield, and best of luck tourneying in an actual conference. MEEP MEEP, Y'ALL.