Four teams snubbed in the NCAA's top 16 seed reveal one month ahead of Selection Sunday
The NCAA Tournament selection committee revealed its top 16 seeds Saturday to give fans a glimpse at how the bracket could shape out on Selection Sunday a month from now.
Gonzaga, Baylor, Michigan and Ohio State nabbed the forecasted No. 1 seeds.
But much like the 68-team reveal, there's always room for criticism of the committee's decisions. Here's a look at four teams that were on the cusp of the top 16 seeds and worthy of better than a No. 5 seed.
Southern California. The Trojans (16-3) have a NET score of 16 and boast a top-50 non-conference strength of schedule. But the Pac-12 isn't doing USC many favors, ranking as the sixth worst power conference in NET conference standings. That means that even though coach Andy Enfield's team is the best in the Pac-12 right now, the reason Missouri secured the final seed Saturday is likely due to the SEC ranking second in NET league standings.
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Virginia Tech. The Hokies (14-4) have a bad NET score of 36 that likely proved to be the difference-maker in keeping them outside the top 16. But their profile's signature wins over Virginia and Villanova speak volumes, not to mention two wins over Duke and a victory over Clemson.
Florida State. Coach Leonard Hamilton's group was another ACC team right on the cusp of the top 16. The Seminoles (11-3) are a difficult gauge because they haven't played as many games due to several postponements so their two Quadrant 1 (top 25 home, top 75 road) wins don't hold up against other teams.
Wisconsin. The Big Ten is stacked this year and it showed in Saturday's reveal. One of the league's teams that could've easily made it is Wisconsin. The Badgers (15-6) have a NET score of 18 but are hampered on their résumé by a non-conference strength of schedule of 182.
Follow college basketball reporter Scott Gleeson on Twitter @ScottMGleeson