Welcome to the third annual installment of "343 teams that won't win the title." This venerable feature is now 2-for-2, having successfully excluded Villanova from its list in 2016, while also shunning North Carolina in the 343 model's second go-round last year.

The smart thing to do would therefore be to quit now before a dark-horse national champion like Connecticut in 2014 wanders into view. (It's only a matter of time.) Alas, the streak beckons to be extended, and prudence has been cast aside. Here we are.

These are my selections for the 343 teams that will not win the 2018 national title, broken up into three sections.

The tournament has tipped off. Your picks are locked in. It's time to find out how your bracket is holding up. Check your brackets

Ineligible (three teams)

1. Alabama A&M Bulldogs

2. Grambling Tigers

3. Southeast Missouri State Redhawks

Near misses (20 teams)

1. Auburn Tigers

Since losing Anfernee McLemore to a dislocated ankle, Bruce Pearl's defense has taken a hit. The Tigers are still fine on the defensive glass, but what was previously a healthy advantage in turnovers is now mere parity. That being said, Auburn's fast pace and steady green light on transition 3s holds the potential to flummox and demoralize a wide range of non-SEC opponents in the field of 68. Putting the Tigers here instead of inside the magic eight really does constitute a near miss.

2. Butler Bulldogs

Is this a good place to point out that Kelan Martin and Butler didn't seem to get the respect they deserved this season? In per-possession terms, the Bulldogs were the functional equivalent of Xavier in Big East play. Then again, the Musketeers show up on this "near miss" list, too. LaVall Jordan's team is here because in conference play its offense rated out near or below the Big East average in terms of effective field goal percentage, offensive rebounding rate and getting to the line.

3. Cincinnati Bearcats

This one was tough. Putting a team that excels at both offense and (especially) defense on the near-miss list is difficult at best and foolhardy at worst. Nor would this seem to be a propitious historical moment to fret that the Bearcats' offense perhaps relies too much on sheer offensive rebounding might alone. (Getting second chances seemed to work pretty well for North Carolina last year.) In the end, however, Cincy's late-season hiccups on defense against Houston, Wichita State (the home game) and Tulsa felt too ominous for magic-eight comfort.

4. Clemson Tigers

Donte Grantham was on pace for one of the better and certainly most versatile seasons we've seen from an ACC player in recent years before the senior tore his ACL in January. This is still a defense you would prefer not to face in the NCAA tournament, but in conference play the Tigers connected on just 46 percent of their 2s.

5. Creighton Bluejays

The Bluejays performed close to the league averages on both offense and defense in Big East play, and, appropriately enough, that netted Greg McDermott's team a 10-8 record. Marcus Foster recorded an outstanding senior season, and as a team CU was notably effective at converting 2-point tries. Nevertheless, conference opponents (which posted a low turnover rate and a normal offensive rebound rate against the Bluejays) consistently had many more chances to score from the field than did Creighton (which recorded the exact same turnover rate but a far lower offensive rebound rate). That disparity could continue in the field of 68.

6. Florida Gators

The version of the Gators that brushed Kentucky aside in Gainesville is fit for consideration as a magic-eight team. Then again, that version of Florida never seems to stick around for very long. Instead, it gets replaced with some other UF team that loses at home to Alabama by 18. Who knows, maybe Mike White's guys have put things together at last -- this current three-game win streak is the team's longest in two months -- but the Gators' inconsistency prior to that point lands them here.

7. Houston Cougars

There's a lot to like about a team that makes its shots (particularly from the perimeter), values the ball and takes care of business on the boards on both ends of the floor. Armoni Brooks, Corey Davis, Rob Gray and Kelvin Sampson have delivered the best season this program has had since, yes, the Guy Lewis glory days. Still, the Cougars' strangely high foul rate in American play and the thoroughly average number of opponent turnovers that resulted do give one pause.

8. Kansas Jayhawks

Bill Self says this Kansas team had less margin for error to work with than its predecessors to extend the sport's most incredible streak, and he is what is known as a credible source. The Jayhawks could be headed for a justly deserved NCAA tournament No. 1 seed as the outright champions in the nation's toughest top-to-bottom conference, but the uncanny statistical parallels to a 2017 Iowa State team that was but a No. 5 seed suggest caution might be in order before boarding the bandwagon with this particular top seed.

9. Kentucky Wildcats

Putting Kentucky here could go badly. The Wildcats seemed to be figuring things out at warp speed before the loss at Florida, and this offense was shredding opposing defenses prior to the visit to Gainesville. UK's late-season offensive rebounding, in particular, was lethal. So what's the problem? The problem is the rules of this game say there's space for only eight teams, and anyway, the habit Kentucky's opponents have of missing an unusually high number of 3s feels like something that could come to an end abruptly in one tournament game (as indeed it did against the Gators).

10. Michigan Wolverines

It's hard to resist the siren call of momentum from a team that just won its second consecutive Big Ten tournament. Or is it? Michigan had the same momentum a year ago, surely, and all it got John Beilein's men was a hard-fought one-point loss to Oregon in the Sweet 16. At least the Wolverines outperformed the other representative of Team Momentum in the 2017 tournament. Like UM, Duke finished tied for fifth in its league during the 2016-17 regular season and then won its conference tournament. Nevertheless, the Blue Devils lost in the round of 32. If Michigan (which tied for fourth in the Big Ten this season) mimics this recent history, keeping the Wolverines out of the magic eight will look wise. On the other hand, if Beilein's men take Connecticut in 2011 as their model (ninth-place regular-season finish, won the conference tournament, won the national title), let us never speak of this again.

11. Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders

Let's not lose sight of the big picture: It's no small thing for a Conference USA team to make this list, quite deservedly, alongside the likes of Kansas and Xavier. MTSU, I salute you!

12. Nevada Wolf Pack

One of the best things about the NCAA tournament is seeing an excellent team such as Nevada finally getting a chance to show what it can do in a bracket filled with as of yet unaware major-conference types. Eric Musselman has a veritable army of 6-foot-7, high-efficiency scorers, up to and including Caleb Martin, Jordan Caroline, Kendall Stephens and Cody Martin. But losing Lindsey Drew to a ruptured Achilles does subtract one very good point guard from that equation.

13. Ohio State Buckeyes

It has been well established that OSU's kryptonite is Penn State, so Chris Holtmann's team should be fine as long as it doesn't run into the Nittany Lions in the bracket, right? Maybe. Certainly, Keita Bates-Diop is a team unto himself (it's not every 6-foot-7 featured scorer who also defends the rim and cleans the defensive glass), and Ohio State could sell instructional videos on wise shot selection. Just the same, the Buckeyes appeared to take a step back on defense late in the season against opponents not named Rutgers.

14. Seton Hall Pirates

Myles Powell has had the kind of sophomore season that should trigger a high degree of anticipation for his junior campaign, and Angel Delgado is, as always, a rebounding man among boys. But the Pirates struggle to get the ball in the basket from both sides of the arc, and Kevin Willard's men were, surprisingly enough, just so-so as a team on the defensive glass in Big East play.

15. Tennessee Volunteers

What the Volunteers have been able to do despite the fact that SEC opponents shot better on their 2s than Rick Barnes' guys did is little short of remarkable. Only Auburn outscored the league by a larger per-possession margin, and Lamonte Turner was a 3-point maestro during SEC play. That being said, conference opponents really did shoot better on their 2s than Tennessee did. That's not a good precursor for NCAA tournament success.

16. TCU Horned Frogs

Not only is this the best season of Horned Frog basketball in 50 years, it's possible that TCU is primed to outperform its regular-season numbers in the tournament. Jamie Dixon's team ranked No. 8 in Big 12 play in points allowed per possession, but a healthy share of that ugly number derived from the fact that opponents were on fire from the perimeter more or less all season. Texas Christian didn't miss the magic eight by as much as you might think.

17. Texas Tech Red Raiders

A month ago, this looked like the team that was finally going to end the amazing streak of Big 12 titles for Kansas, but a nagging injury suffered by Keenan Evans and a surprisingly (and consistently) permissive late-season defense changed those plans. Even so, the Red Raiders still look like a team with the potential for a run to the second weekend if Chris Beard's guys get some rest and get healthy.

18. West Virginia Mountaineers

Jevon Carter, Sagaba Konate and Bob Huggins co-authored a shot-volume success story this season. As a result, an offense that was slightly less accurate than the Big 12 average from the field was far better than average in terms of points per possession. The problem for the Mountaineers is simply that they forced a surprisingly "normal" number of opponent turnovers in conference play, particularly late in the season. When all those opponent trips to the line (and there are always plenty of those in Morgantown) aren't offset by opponent giveaways, the math no longer works for West Virginia.

19. Wichita State Shockers

If you desire entertainment, this is the team for you. Observers will continue to speak of the Shockers in the same program-level-stereotype terms that were used appropriately in the Fred VanVleet days, but the truth is this defense performed at a level that was right at the American average in conference play. The good news entertainment-wise is that this offense is spectacular. All of the above should make for fun viewing in the tournament, but it might not make for a high number of viewing opportunities.

20. Xavier Musketeers

The outright Big East champions knocked Villanova off its seemingly permanent throne. That's no small feat, and keep in mind Chris Mack's team was ranked all the way down at No. 17 in the preseason. Speaking of a ranking in the teens, that's about where laptops put Xavier nationally right now. Maybe that's a smidge low, but top eight doesn't sound quite right, either, for a group whose dispositive performance virtues in Big East play were outstanding defensive rebounding and a highly favorable disparity in free throws.

No clear path (320 teams)

1. Abilene Christian Wildcats

2. Air Force Falcons

3. Akron Zips

4. Alabama Crimson Tide

5. Alabama State Hornets

6. Albany Great Danes

7. Alcorn State Braves

8. American Eagles

9. Appalachian State Mountaineers

10. Arizona State Sun Devils

11. Arkansas Razorbacks

12. Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions

13. Arkansas State Red Wolves

14. Army Black Knights

15. Austin Peay Governors

16. Ball State Cardinals

17. Baylor Bears

18. Belmont Bruins

19. Bethune-Cookman Wildcats

20. Binghamton Bearcats

21. Boise State Broncos

22. Boston College Eagles

23. Boston University Terriers

24. Bowling Green Falcons

25. Bradley Braves

26. BYU Cougars

27. Brown Bears

28. Bryant Bulldogs

29. Bucknell Bison

30. Buffalo Bulls

31. California Golden Bears

32. Cal Poly Mustangs

33. CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners

34. CSU Fullerton Titans

35. CSU Northridge Matadors

36. Campbell Fighting Camels

37. Canisius Golden Griffins

38. Central Arkansas Bears

39. Central Connecticut Blue Devils

40. Central Michigan Chippewas

41. Charleston Cougars

42. Charleston Southern Buccaneers

43. Charlotte 49ers

44. Chattanooga Mocs

45. Chicago State Cougars

46. The Citadel Bulldogs

47. Cleveland State Vikings

48. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers

49. Colgate Raiders

50. Colorado Buffaloes

51. Colorado State Rams

52. Columbia Lions

53. UConn Huskies

54. Coppin State Eagles

55. Cornell Big Red

56. Dartmouth Big Green

57. Davidson Wildcats

58. Dayton Flyers

59. Delaware Blue Hens

60. Delaware State Hornets

61. Denver Pioneers

62. DePaul Blue Demons

63. Detroit Mercy Titans

64. Drake Bulldogs

65. Drexel Dragons

66. Duquesne Dukes

67. East Carolina Pirates

68. East Tennessee State Buccaneers

69. Eastern Illinois Panthers

70. Eastern Kentucky Colonels

71. Eastern Michigan Eagles

72. Eastern Washington Eagles

73. Elon Phoenix

74. Evansville Purple Aces

75. Fairfield Stags

76. Fairleigh Dickinson Knights

77. Florida A&M Rattlers

78. Florida Atlantic Owls

79. Florida Gulf Coast Eagles

80. Florida International Golden Panthers

81. Florida State Seminoles

82. Fordham Rams

83. Fort Wayne Mastodons

84. Fresno State Bulldogs

85. Furman Paladins

86. Gardner-Webb Bulldogs

87. George Mason Patriots

88. George Washington Colonials

89. Georgetown Hoyas

90. Georgia Bulldogs

91. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

92. Georgia Southern Eagles

93. Georgia State Panthers

94. Grand Canyon Antelopes

95. Green Bay Phoenix

96. Hampton Pirates

97. Hartford Hawks

98. Harvard Crimson

99. Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors

100. High Point Panthers

101. Hofstra Pride

102. Holy Cross Crusaders

103. Houston Baptist Huskies

104. Howard Bison

105. Idaho Vandals

106. Idaho State Bengals

107. Illinois Fighting Illini

108. Illinois-Chicago Flames

109. Illinois State Redbirds

110. Incarnate Word Cardinals

111. Indiana Hoosiers

112. Indiana State Sycamores

113. IUPUI Jaguars

114. Iona Gaels

115. Iowa Hawkeyes

116. Iowa State Cyclones

117. Jackson State Tigers

118. Jacksonville Dolphins

119. Jacksonville State Gamecocks

120. James Madison Dukes

121. Kansas State Wildcats

122. Kennesaw State Owls

123. Kent State Golden Flashes

124. La Salle Explorers

125. Lafayette Leopards

126. Lamar Cardinals

127. Lehigh Mountain Hawks

128. Liberty Flames

129. Lipscomb Bisons

130. Little Rock Trojans

131. Long Beach State 49ers

132. LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds

133. Longwood Lancers

134. Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns

135. UL Monroe Warhawks

136. LSU Tigers

137. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs

138. Louisville Cardinals

139. Loyola-Chicago Ramblers

140. Loyola (MD) Greyhounds

141. Loyola Marymount Lions

142. Maine Black Bears

143. Manhattan Jaspers

144. Marist Red Foxes

145. Marquette Golden Eagles

146. Marshall Thundering Herd

147. Maryland Terrapins

148. Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks

149. UMass Minutemen

150. UMass Lowell River Hawks

151. McNeese Cowboys

152. Memphis Tigers

153. Mercer Bears

154. Miami Hurricanes

155. Miami (OH) RedHawks

156. Milwaukee Panthers

157. Minnesota Golden Gophers

158. Ole Miss Rebels

159. Mississippi State Bulldogs

160. Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils

161. Missouri Tigers

162. Missouri State Bears

163. Monmouth Hawks

164. Montana Grizzlies

165. Montana State Bobcats

166. Morehead State Eagles

167. Morgan State Bears

168. Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers

169. Murray State Racers

170. Navy Midshipmen

171. Nebraska Cornhuskers

172. New Hampshire Wildcats

173. NJIT Highlanders

174. New Mexico Lobos

175. New Mexico State Aggies

176. New Orleans Privateers

177. Niagara Purple Eagles

178. Nicholls Colonels

179. Norfolk State Spartans

180. North Carolina A&T Aggies

181. North Carolina Central Eagles

182. NC State Wolfpack

183. North Dakota Fighting Hawks

184. North Dakota State Bison

185. North Florida Ospreys

186. North Texas Mean Green

187. Northeastern Huskies

188. Northern Arizona Lumberjacks

189. Northern Colorado Bears

190. Northern Illinois Huskies

191. Northern Iowa Panthers

192. Northern Kentucky Norse

193. Northwestern Wildcats

194. Northwestern State Demons

195. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

196. Oakland Golden Grizzlies

197. Ohio Bobcats

198. Oklahoma Sooners

199. Oklahoma State Cowboys

200. Old Dominion Monarchs

201. Omaha Mavericks

202. Oral Roberts Golden Eagles

203. Oregon Ducks

204. Oregon State Beavers

205. Pacific Tigers

206. Penn Quakers

207. Penn State Nittany Lions

208. Pepperdine Waves

209. Pittsburgh Panthers

210. Portland Pilots

211. Portland State Vikings

212. Prairie View A&M Panthers

213. Presbyterian Blue Hose

214. Princeton Tigers

215. Providence Friars

216. Quinnipiac Bobcats

217. Radford Highlanders

218. Rhode Island Rams

219. Rice Owls

220. Richmond Spiders

221. Rider Broncs

222. Robert Morris Colonials

223. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

224. Sacramento State Hornets

225. Sacred Heart Pioneers

226. Saint Joseph's Hawks

227. St. Bonaventure Bonnies

228. St. Francis NY Terriers

229. St. Francis PA Red Flash

230. St. John's Red Storm

231. Saint Louis Billikens

232. Saint Mary's Gaels

233. Saint Peter's Peacocks

234. Sam Houston State Bearkats

235. Samford Bulldogs

236. San Diego Toreros

237. San Diego State Aztecs

238. San Francisco Dons

239. San Jose State Spartans

240. Santa Clara Broncos

241. Seattle Redhawks

242. Siena Saints

243. South Alabama Jaguars

244. South Carolina Gamecocks

245. South Carolina State Bulldogs

246. USC Upstate Spartans

247. South Dakota Coyotes

248. South Dakota State Jackrabbits

249. South Florida Bulls

250. SE Louisiana Lions

251. Southern Jaguars

252. Southern Illinois Salukis

253. SIU Edwardsville Cougars

254. SMU Mustangs

255. Southern Miss Golden Eagles

256. Southern Utah Thunderbirds

257. Stanford Cardinal

258. Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks

259. Stetson Hatters

260. Stony Brook Seawolves

261. Syracuse Orange

262. Temple Owls

263. Tennessee Martin Skyhawks

264. Tennessee State Tigers

265. Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles

266. Texas Longhorns

267. Texas A&M Aggies

268. Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders

269. Texas Southern Tigers

270. Texas State Bobcats

271. Toledo Rockets

272. Towson Tigers

273. Troy Trojans

274. Tulane Green Wave

275. Tulsa Golden Hurricane

276. UAB Blazers

277. UC Davis Aggies

278. UC Irvine Anteaters

279. UC Riverside Highlanders

280. UC Santa Barbara Gauchos

281. UCF Knights

282. UCLA Bruins

283. UMBC Retrievers

284. UMKC Kangaroos

285. UNC Asheville Bulldogs

286. UNC Greensboro Spartans

287. UNC Wilmington Seahawks

288. UNLV Rebels

289. USC Trojans

290. UT Arlington Mavericks

291. UTEP Miners

292. UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros

293. UT San Antonio Roadrunners

294. Utah Utes

295. Utah State Aggies

296. Utah Valley Wolverines

297. Valparaiso Crusaders

298. Vanderbilt Commodores

299. Vermont Catamounts

300. VMI Keydets

301. VCU Rams

302. Virginia Tech Hokies

303. Wagner Seahawks

304. Wake Forest Demon Deacons

305. Washington Huskies

306. Washington State Cougars

307. Weber State Wildcats

308. Western Carolina Catamounts

309. Western Illinois Leathernecks

310. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

311. Western Michigan Broncos

312. William & Mary Tribe

313. Winthrop Eagles

314. Wisconsin Badgers

315. Wofford Terriers

316. Wright State Raiders

317. Wyoming Cowboys

318. Yale Bulldogs

319. Youngstown State Penguins

320. Savannah State Tigers

By my count, that's 343 teams. Congratulations are therefore in order for Arizona, Duke, Gonzaga, Michigan State, North Carolina, Purdue, Villanova and Virginia. All of you were conspicuously absent.

Now, go out and make me look good. There's a (very short and totally un-Kansas-like) streak on the line.