By DCist Contributor Brett Gellman

Photo by michael starghill

While we’re waiting on the outcome of Selection Sunday, one area team will be notably absent from the field of 65.

It’s amazing given the disparity of the teams in the D.C. region that one team that clearly should’ve been in the tournament will not hear their name called tonight, while another program that had no business being there from the start somehow managed to find a way.

The Georgetown Hoyas, who reached the Final Four just two years ago, will be left out of this year’s NCAA Tournament after compiling a 16-14 record and 7-11 in the Big East Conference.

How in the world did this happen? It wasn’t long ago that Georgetown was ranked one of the top teams in the country, climbing as high as #8 in the Coaches Poll. The team, which has been very successful in recruiting talent in the DC area, was comprised of highly touted recruits and was able to gain a commitment last year from the country’s top power forward prospect, Greg Monroe.

Georgetown started strong from the gate, winning 10 out of their 11 games early in the season. The Hoyas routed local rival Maryland in the Old Spice Classic by nearly 30 points and defeated top-ranked Memphis in an overtime thriller. Wins over Big East rivals UConn and Syracuse convinced Hoya Nation that they’d be dancing deeply into the tournament when March rolled around.

Unfortunately, no one could’ve predicted how poorly January and February would treat the Hoyas.