March Madness 2022: 5 biggest NCAA Tournament snubs

March Madness 2022: Texas A&M and the 5 biggest NCAA Tournament snubs

TAMPA, FLORIDA - MARCH 13: Brandon Huntley-Hatfield #2 of the Tennessee Volunteers blocks a shot by Henry Coleman III #15 of the Texas A&M Aggies during the second half in the Championship game of the SEC Men's Tournament at Amalie Arena on March 13, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

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KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – MARCH 11: Ethan Chargois #15 of the Oklahoma Sooners looks on in the second half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the semifinal game of the 2022 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Championship at T-Mobile Center on March 11, 2022, in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

4. Biggest March Madness snubs – Oklahoma Sooners

The meat-grinder that is the Big 12 swallowed a few potential tournament teams this year and Oklahoma came the closest to making the field from the three eligible teams that got left out. The NET’s 40th ranked team, the big issue that the Sooners ran into is that they simply accumulated too many losses over the course of the season.

Oklahoma’s 15th loss came in the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament by a point against Texas Tech, which ended up as a No. 3 seed in the West Region. That loss came one day after the Sooners kept their hopes alive with a win over Baylor, which ended up getting a No. 1 seed from the selection committee.

A deeper dive into Oklahoma’s team sheet reveals a 4-12 record against Quadrant 1 opponents, which was simply too big a hole for the committee to ignore. The difference between the Sooners and Michigan, which got in as an 11-seed despite a 17-14 record, is that the Wolverines played one of the most difficult schedules in the country.

Porter Moser will undoubtedly agonize over the final sequence of the Texas Tech loss since there is a good chance that win would have been enough to get the Sooners into the field. Leaving Kansas City without it left Oklahoma vulnerable to getting left out of the dance.

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