Why selection committee won't care about Sooners' Big 12 record

AMES, Iowa — During halftime of Oklahoma's loss at Iowa State on Monday, ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi said he wouldn't lobby for a team below .500 in conference play to make the NCAA Tournament.

Count the Sooners glad that Lunardi doesn't have a vote. The tournament selection committee doesn't care about OU's 5-10 Big 12 record. Conference record isn't considered in the room where the bracket is conceived.

The number propping up OU is 17-11 — its overall record that has come against the 13th toughest schedule in the country, according to the NET.

Oklahoma hasn't faced an opponent ranked below No. 175 in the NET all season. There are 353 schools in Division-I college basketball.

OU is the only team in the country that hasn't played a Quadrant 4 game. Quadrant 4 counts home games against teams ranked 161 to 353 in the NET, and road games against NET teams 241 to 353.

To use a simpler term: No gimmes.

The top-5 teams in the NET are Gonzaga, Virginia, Duke, Houston and Kentucky.

Gonzaga, by virtue of competing in the West Coast Conference, has played 11 Quadrant 4 games. But Virginia has played eight, Duke four, Houston nine and Kentucky five.

That's an average of 7.4 games against Quadrant 4 opponents for the top-5 teams in the country.

OU is 3-9 in Quadrant 1 games, 7-2 in Quadrant 2 and 7-0 in Quadrant 3. But an 0-0 record against Quadrant 4 teams might help the Sooners most.

With three games remaining — vs. West Virginia, vs. Kansas, at Kansas State — Oklahoma still needs two wins if it wants to feel reasonably comfortable about its Big Dance chances heading into the Big 12 Tournament.

Lunardi updated his bracket projection after OU's loss at Iowa State. He has OU as a No. 10 seed playing No. 7 seed Iowa in Columbia, South Carolina.

Bracket Matrix provides a fuller picture. The website compiles bracket projections from more than 100 other websites for an aggregate look.

Oklahoma is the third No. 9 seed, according to Bracket Matrix. The other No. 9 seeds: St. John's, Syracuse and TCU.

Baylor, Auburn, Ole Miss and Wofford are the potential No. 8 seeds OU would be matched up with.

Baylor twice beat the Sooners. OU beat Wofford 75-64 on Nov. 18, and now the Terriers have climbed all the way up to No. 20 in the NET.

[AP PHOTO/CHARLIE NEIBERGALL] Oklahoma center Jamuni McNeace drives past Iowa State forward Cameron Lard, left, during Monday night's Big 12 basketball game in Ames, Iowa. Despite an OU loss, the Sooners still have hopes of making the NCAA Tournament.