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NCAA Tournament 2017: 5 biggest snubs on Selection Sunday

By Cody Williams

Mar 8, 2017; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Syracuse Orange head coach Jim Boeheim reacts as he coaches against the Miami Hurricanes during the second half of an ACC Conference Tournament game at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 8, 2017; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Syracuse Orange head coach Jim Boeheim reacts as he coaches against the Miami Hurricanes during the second half of an ACC Conference Tournament game at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 10, 2016; Berkeley, CA, USA; California Golden Bears forward Ivan Rabb (1) controls the ball against the UC Davis Aggies during the first half at Haas Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 10, 2016; Berkeley, CA, USA; California Golden Bears forward Ivan Rabb (1) controls the ball against the UC Davis Aggies during the first half at Haas Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Cal Golden Bears

Though the other four teams listed have their cases to be made as for why they should’ve made the 2017 NCAA Tournament, no one has a stronger case than the Cal Golden Bears. Across the board, the Bears did nothing but check boxes that you need to get into March Madness. So how the committee looked at a team that went 21-12 in the regular season and deemed them not worthy is wholly baffling.

If there’s one box that Cal didn’t check throughout the season, it was their number of quality wins—particularly when it came to their in-conference schedule in the Pac-12. They failed to notch a win against any of Arizona, UCLA, and Oregon throughout the year. They did notch a victory over the USC Trojans, but considering that they were one of the last four teams in, they must not have weighed heavily into their resume.

Even still, Ivan Rabb and the Golden Bears finished with the aforementioned overall record and an at least solid 10-8 mark in Pac-12 play. What’s more, they played a top-70 schedule in terms of strength and still managed to put up that solid record. Additionally, they wound up with a solid standing in RPI, placing 56th in the country in that regard.

Next: Printable 2017 NCAA Tournament bracket

Would they have been a contender to win the National Championship if they’d made it into the tournament? It’s highly unlikely. However, they have the talent and the resume to suggest that the Golden Bears deserved at least a chance to prove everyone that didn’t think so wrong.

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