By Andrew Koob | National Desk Give some credit to the selection committee. While there were certainly a number of teams that could have made a case for an NCAA tournament bid, there weren’t many true snubs left out of the field this year. But that doesn’t mean that those left out in the cold don’t have a case...
By Andrew Koob | National Desk
Tennessee guard Josh Richardson (1) moves the ball up court as Alabama guard Retin Obasohan (32) defends during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game at the Southeastern Conference tournament, Friday, March 15, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
Give some credit to the selection committee. While there were certainly a number of teams that could have made a case for an NCAA tournament bid, there weren’t many true snubs left out of the field this year.
But that doesn’t mean that those left out in the cold don’t have a case to argue. Here's a look at four teams that may be feeling a big slighted:
1. Tennessee Volunteers (20-12): The Volunteers had the right idea when it came to scheduling, playing the kind of tough out-of-conference opponents that impress the selection committee. In what was a mediocre SEC this season, the Vols needed to prove themselves those early non-conference contests against Oklahoma State, Georgetown, Virginia and Memphis – teams that either made the tournament or had their bubble burst just before the bracket was announced. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to capitalize, losing all four games.
2. Virginia Cavaliers (21-11): The Cavaliers have impressive victories over Duke and NC State, as well as an overtime win against Maryland to end the ACC regular season. But it’s all about who they didn’t beat, losing to the likes of Old Dominion (5-25), Georgia Tech (16-15) and Boston College (16-17) – teams Virginia should have beaten. A first-round exit in the ACC tournament against NC State didn’t help their cause.
3. Maryland Terrapins (22-12): Taking two out of three games from Duke never hurts your case, but a soft non-conference schedule killed the Terps’ hopes for a tournament bid. The only non-conference opponent of note was the season-opening loss to then-No. 3 Kentucky at the Barclay’s Center. Maryland wasn’t able to do enough in the ACC to go along with their 12-1 non-conference record, going 8-10 before making a final push to the semifinals of the ACC Tournament.
4. Alabama Crimson Tide (21-12): Just like SEC rival Tennessee, the Crimson Tide had opportunities for big wins. But losses to Cincinnati and VCU (as well as setbacks against the likes of Mercer and Tulane) doomed Alabama early in the season. Overall, the Crimson Tide went 0-6 against teams in the top 50 in RPI and had four losses to teams below the top 100 in RPI. The lack of a significant win against a Top 25 team certainly didn’t help the hopes of Alabama.