College basketball is very competitive no matter who you play. It’s gotten so big the last 30 years or so. Teams like Belmont, Mercer, Evansville, etc., can surprise you. Nobody heard of Butler or Gonzaga 30 years ago. Texas Tech in the Final Four, are you kidding me.
It's not like football where you need a ton of players. That's why small schools, and the ACC, like basketball so much, give them 12 or so players who work well together and they have a chance.