The 55.

Gentlemen,

Northwestern basketball is part of an elite, unprestigious club. A club you can't join, but which you can leave, but only if you want to never be allowed back again.

Us, and 54 other schools schools, AS YOU MIGHTA HEARD, ain't never been to the NCAA tournament.

As championship week progresses, we're going to see our numbers thin. Teams we've been sitting at college basketball's kiddy table with for decades are going to win games and get closer to making it, and/or lose them and become resigned to chilling with NU over in the corner for another year. As far as I can tell, there's no such list on the internet featuring every school who has not made the NCAA's - USA Today compiled a list of the 25 longest streaks two years ago, but since then, five of those schools have qualified, and several teams (primarily the independent ones listed below) have joined.

So here, fellas, is every school currently competing in D-I never to have made the NCAA's. As they progress/falter, I'll update this thread, but, keep an eye out for these schools in the upcoming days. 

Actually, it's after the jump. But you can figure it out.

Teams who have made the NCAA's (and will not be in our bond this time next year) will have a big crossmark put through their name. Teams that have been eliminated from contention (unless they, for some freakish reason, receive an at-large bid) will be put in italics. Teams that have not yet been eliminated will be moved to the top of the list.

As of Selection Sunday, two schools - Wofford and Arkansas-Pine Bluff - have left us behind, while 53 - including Northwestern - will be back next year.

Qualified:

Wofford Terriers, Southern Conference (won conference tournament - No. 1 seed, beat NC-Greenboro 59-47 in first round, Western Carolina 77-58 in semis, Appalachian State 56-41 in finals.)

Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions, SWAC (won conference tournament - No. 2 seed, beat Mississippi Valley State 69-66 in first round, beat Alcorn State 46-44 in second round, beat Texas Southern 50-38 in fiinals)

Back Next Years:

Northwestern Wildcats, BIg Ten  ( beat Indiana 78-53 in first round, lost 69-61 in second round to Purdue))

UC-Davis Aggies, Big West (beat Cal State Fullerton 68-65 in first round, lost 76-62 to UC-Santa Barbara)

Grambling State Tigers, SWAC (beat No. 1 Jackson State 65-57 in first round, lost 60-57 to Texas Southern)

Cal Poly Mustangs, Big West (beat UC-Irvine 73-69 in first round, lost second round 79-69 to Long Beach State)

Maryland-Eastern Shore Hawks, MEAC (No. 6 seed, beat Coppin State 64-48 in first round, lost second round 59-53 to South Carolina State)

Buffalo Bulls, MAC (won first round 72-54 over Toledo, lost in second round 73-59 to Miami (OH))

San Jose State Spartans, WAC (lost in first round, 90-69 to New Mexico State)

Norfolk State Spartans, MEAC (lost in first round, 73-70, to Hampton)

Quinnipiac Bobcats, NEC (beat Monmouth 84-75 in first round, Long Island 83-78 in second, lost in finals 52-50 to Robert Morris)

Bethune-Cookman Wildcats, MEAC (won first round, 64-53 over Florida A&M, lost second round to Delaware State)

UC Irvine Anteaters, Big West (lost in first round, 73-69 to Cal Poly)

Northern Colorado Bears, Big Sky (lost in second round, 68-63, to Montana)

Army Black Knights,  Patriot League, (lost in first round, 64-45 to Lehigh)

The Citadel Bulldogs, Southern Conference (lost in second round, 71-61, to Appalachian State.)

St. Francis Terriers, NEC (9th in conference, did not qualify for conference tourney)

William & Mary Tribe, CAA (lost in finals, 60-53, to Old Dominion)

Centenary Gentlemen, Summit (9th in conference, did not qualify for conference tourney)

Maine Black Bears, America East (lost in first round, 68-57, to New Hampshire)

New Hampshire Wildcats, America East (lost in second round, 57-38, to Vermont)

Denver Pioneers, Sun Belt (lost in third round, 63-56, to North Texas)

Texas- Pan American Broncos, Great West (transitional conference, tournament winner does not receive automatic bid to NCAA's)

Stetson Hatters, Atlantic Sun (11th in conference, did not qualify for conference tourney)

Youngstown State Penguins, Horizon (lost in first round, 81-67, to UW-Green Bay)

Western Illinois Leathernecks, Summit (lost in first round, 77-68, to IUPUI)

Chicago State Cougars, Great West (transitional conference, tournament winner does not receive automatic bid to NCAA's)

Hartford Hawks, America East (lost in first round, 87-46, to Boston University)

Sacramento State Hornets, Big Sky (9th in conference, did not qualify for conference tourney)

Gardner-Webb Bulldogs, Big South (9th in conference, did not qualify for conference tourney)

High Point Panthers, Big South (lost in first round, 84-73, to UNC-Ashevillle)

NC Central Eagles, independent

Savannah State Tigers, Independent

NJIT Highlanders, Great West (transitional conference, tournament winner does not receive automatic bid to NCAA's)

North Dakota Fighting Sioux, Great West (transitional conference, tournament winner does not receive automatic bid to NCAA's)

South Dakota Coyotes, Great West (transitional conference, tournament winner does not receive automatic bid to NCAA's)

Utah Valley State Wolverines, Great West (transitional conference, tournament winner does not receive automatic bid to NCAA's)

Winston-Salem Rams, Independent

Sacred Heart Pioneers, NEC (10th in conference, did not qualify for conference tourney)

Jacksonville State Gamecocks, OVC (lost in first round, 87-54, to Morehead State)

SIU-Edwardsville Cougars, independent

Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks, OVC (10th in conference, did not qualify for conference tourney)

Elon Phoenix, Southern, (lost in second round, 68-57, to Western Carolina)

Central Arkansas Bears, Southland (12th in conference, did not qualify for conference tourney)

Stony Brook Seawolves, America East (lost in second round, 70-63, to Boston University)

Florida Gulf Coast Eagles, Atlantic Sun (10th in conference, did not qualify for conference tourney)

Kennesaw State Owls, Atlantic Sun (lost in second round, 69-64, to East Tennessee State)

Lipscomb Bison, Atlantic Sun (lost in first round, 72-69, to Kennesaw State - will qualify for the NIT as regular-season conference champions)

North Florida Ospreys, Atlantic Sun (lost in first round, 76-69, to Jacksonville)

South Carolina-Upstate Spartans, Atlantic Sun (9th in conference, did not qualify for conference tourney)

UC-Riverside Highlanders, Big West (9th in conference, did not qualify for conference tourney)

Longwood Lancers, independent

Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners, independent

IPFW Mastodons, Summit (lost in second round, 71-58, to Oakland)

South Dakota State Jackrabbits, Summit (lost in first round, 71-66, to IPFW)