With the NCAA Tournament expanding from 65 to 68 teams in 2011, you would think there wouldn’t be as many schools crying foul on Selection Sunday.
Think again.
The addition of three teams doesn’t make a difference. If the tournament had 300 schools, school No. 301 would raise hell.
This season’s bracket was no different. There were a few teams who should have been in the NCAA Tournament field but weren’t. And some schools raised some eyebrows by making the Big Dance.
Here are my snubs and surprises of the 2013 NCAA Tournament field:
Snubs
Tennessee
It looks like Vols coach Cuonzo Martin spoke too soon at the Southeastern Conference Tournament when he said he felt his team was in the NCAA Tournament field. After losing to Alabama in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament, the selection committee apparently forgot all about Tennessee.
Despite wins against nine teams in the RPI Top 100, the Vols weren’t invited to the dance. Tennessee’s exclusion from the tournament field was the most head-scratching decision to me by the tournament committee.
The Vols won nine of their last 12 games, including victories against Missouri and Florida, who will be dancing later this week.
Virginia
The selection committee is only concerned with one question when it comes to deciding who’s in and out of the NCAA Tournament: What have you done for me lately?
Unfortunately for the Cavaliers, they haven’t done much recently. Virginia limped down the season’s home stretch, finishing 6-6 in its last 12 games.
Virginia had quality wins against Duke, North Carolina State and Wisconsin. But bad losses against George Mason and RPI No. 318 Old Dominion most likely did the Cavaliers in.
Kentucky
Not including Kentucky in the field was probably the biggest hiccup by the selection committee.
Sure, the NCAA Tournament is about Cinderella stories and buzzer beaters, but it’s more about money. More than 90 percent of the NCAA’s revenue comes from March Madness.
The Wildcats should have been in one of the First Four games in Dayton, Ohio. Their fan base would have packed Dayton and attendance numbers would have been out of this world.
But look on the bright side, Big Blue Nation, at least the Cats are a No. 1 seed in the National Invitational Tournament.
Surprises
La Salle
Somehow, La Salle will be exploring the NCAA Tournament despite only having two wins against RPI Top 50 teams in Butler and Virginia Commonwealth.
I’ll give the Atlantic 10 credit — the conference is probably the strongest it’s been in years. But La Salle played a pillow soft nonconference schedule and is just 3-3 in its last six games.
Sixteen of the Explorers’ 21 wins this season came against teams with RPIs above 100. Oh, and they also lost to Central Connecticut State earlier this season.
Saint Mary’s
There’s no way Saint Mary’s belongs in the field of 68.
The Gaels only RPI Top 50 win was against Creighton in February. Much like La Salle, more than half of Saint Mary’s wins came against teams with RPIs in the triple digits.
Gonzaga beat its West Coast Conference foe three times this season, twice by double digits. I guess it’s hard to get quality wins when you don’t play anyone.
Middle Tennessee State
And then there’s Middle Tennessee State.
Somehow the selection committee allowed the Blue Raiders to get into the tournament field despite not winning the Sun Belt Tournament, where they lost to Florida International 61-57.
Middle Tennessee doesn’t have a win against an RPI Top 100 team in the calendar year, and its best win came in December against Ole Miss, who secured an NCAA Tournament berth by winning the SEC Tournament.
And the Blue Raiders have an LSU tie: They lost to Arkansas State, where former LSU coach John Brady now paces the sidelines.
Micah Bedard is a 22-year-old history senior from Houma.
