2011 NCAA Tournament: Five Teams that Got Snubbed on Selection Sunday

Selection Sunday brings yet another time for teams to complain and make their case as to why they should have been included in the NCAA Tournament.

While there are usually two or three teams that deserved to be in, this year has brought a handful of teams that could make their case and be in over others.

Unfortunately, these five teams will be making their way to the NIT, hoping to show the country why they deserve to be in the big dance.

All the fans ask for is the best 68 teams to be in the tournament. This year, some of the best teams were left out.

Here are the five teams that got snubbed the most on Selection Sunday.

5.) Saint Mary’s Gaels

When you look at the records of teams, Saint Mary’s will be the first fans can say got snubbed. Based on their impressive 25-8 record, they deserved to get in.

However, it isn’t all about record in this selection process.

The Gaels boast a decent RPI ranking at 46, but they failed to beat teams in the RPI Top 50. They defeated St. John’s (23) early in the season. Other than the Johnnies, conference-rival Gonzaga is the next best RPI ranking with 58.

The Strength of Schedule (SOS) also did not help Saint Mary’s. With a SOS of 101, that won’t get you far.

But with the wins the amount of wins they have, they have to be considered for a spot in the tournament. There could be a case for them in regards to other teams getting in over them, but I think the Committee did a good job leaving them out.

They did deserve to be in over other teams, though.

4.) Harvard Crimson

The nerds’ weekend continues to get worse. Just a day removed from losing on a buzzer-beater to Princeton, the Crimson got snubbed yet again today.

As Dick Vitale would say, “Let the true student athletes in the tournament, baby!”

Harvard has beaten a host of tournament teams and teams with exceptional talent over the course of the season: Princeton, Boston University, Boston College, and Colorado.

They also finished with an RPI ranking of 35.

How can you let that go by?

Sure, they’re from the Ivy League, and books probably matter more than a basketball to these guys, but it’s ridiculous not to let them in with what they have to offer.

And besides, who doesn’t want another Cinderella, or, in this case, Nerderella?

3.) Virginia Tech Hokies

A couple of weeks ago when the Hokies beat Duke, everyone had them in. Today, they are on the other side of the bubble.

Despite beating Duke, they can’t convince the Committee to put them in again. Gotta be used to it now, right?

Just like every other year, bad losses killed Virginia Tech. Losing to Georgia Tech and Virginia will not cut it during crunch time.

However, I was a firm believer they were in this year.

They might not be the most deserving team, but they deserved to be in over the last four teams in.

Now we will have to start thinking about Seth Greenberg and if his job is on the line after another trip to the NIT.

2.) Alabama Crimson Tide

It pains me to say this, but Alabama should have been in.

People can say “Oh, the SEC West is awful. No one deserves to be in from there,” but Alabama was a legit contender in the SEC.

They beat conference champion Kentucky at home, Tennessee on the road, and Georgia twice.

And Georgia is in the tournament…

I know RPI and SOS factors into it, but really?

The Committee chooses a team that has lost to Alabama twice to be in the dance, and they leave out Alabama?

That is ridiculous.

Sure, Alabama lost to Providence, Iowa, and St. Peters (also a tournament team), but Alabama is the best team in their state.

Not a big fan of leaving out the Tide right here.

1.) Colorado Buffaloes

Head coach Tad Boyle and analyst Fran Fraschilla said it best regarding the Buffaloes’ snub of being held out of the tournament.

“I’m just shocked,” Boyle said on ESPN after the brackets were announced; Fraschilla claims that Colorado was “the biggest crime of all” on Selection Sunday.

Both are correct in their respective comments.

With three wins over Kansas State, a win against Harvard, Texas, and Missouri, Colorado has a case for being robbed on Sunday.

They easily deserved to be in the NCAA Tournament, despite having a bad non-conference schedule early in the year.

Beating those good teams has to get you somewhere, and the NIT isn’t the place they deserve to be.

Now if the Buffaloes do not capture the top seed in the NIT, there will definitely be a problem.

I’m interested to see how it unfolds.

But Colorado is the biggest snubbed this season, and may be this biggest one in a couple of years.

Shoot me an email or talk to me on Twitter about who you think got snubbed on Sunday.