The NCAA women’s basketball selection committee has made it clear that its in-season reveals of the top 16 teams have no direct connection to what the final tournament bracket looks like on Selection Sunday.
But Thursday’s reveal — and the subsequent one on Feb. 23 — give us some insight into how the committee members are thinking and which metrics they most value in making final decisions on seeding and tournament inclusion.
The raw NET ranking — a combination of a team’s record, strength of opponents and offensive and defensive efficiency metrics — appeared to play a big role in which teams were included Thursday in the top 16.
Utah, Iowa and Duke — the sixth, seventh and eighth overall teams Thursday, and all No. 2 seeds — were each placed within one spot of their NET ranking. Texas, 10th in the NET, was a No. 3 seed despite tying for the most losses of any team in the top 16.
It also might be why UConn, the NET’s No. 2 team, was the final No. 1 seed (joining South Carolina, Indiana and Stanford on the top line). The Huskies are coming off their first two-game losing streak in 30 years and have lost four games this season.
Half of their…
