The 2016 NCAA Tournament bracket has been officially announced, but not every team gets to go dancing this year. Several teams are considered snubs this year, with most of them being mid-majors.
While there's an argument that no team is really a snub because they could have done more to earn a spot, there are always a few teams that are have a case for getting in over a different school. With that in mind, here are the six biggest snubs in the 2016 NCAA Tournament.
Monmouth Hawks (27-7, 17-3)
The Hawks did everything they could except win the MAAC tournament. In the end, that cost them a spot. Monmouth even beat Notre Dame and USC, but were hurt but UCLA and Georgetown not finishing the season strong. What ultimately cost Monmouth a spot was three losses to teams with sub-200 RPIs. Still, Monmouth seemed more worthy than some of the teams that made it in. It's a shame we'll miss out on Monmouth's bench antics.
St. Bonaventure Bonnies (22-8, 14-4)
The Bonnies won a share of the A-10 title and even beat Dayton the road. But St. Bonaventure beat no one out of conference and lost to Duquesne and La Salle. Losing in the quarterfinals of the A-10 tournament to Davidson only hurt them.
St. Mary's Gaels (27-5, 15-3)
St. Mary's was likely doomed by a weak non-conference scheduled. They played just nine Top-100 opponents, although they did beat six of them. Being ineligible to play in an exempt tournament also hurt St. Mary's. In the end, beating Gonzaga twice just wasn't enough.
San Diego State Aztecs (25-9, 16-2)
For the first time since 1999, the outright regular season Mountain West winners aren't going dancing. But San Diego was just 3-7 against Top 100 RPI teams, although a win against Cal was impressive. But the weak schedule cost San Diego State a spot.
South Carolina Gamecocks (24-8, 11-7)
A major conference team with 24 wins missing out is not common. However, the Gamecocks' schedule was bad this season. Kentucky and Texas A&M were the only Top 50 teams South Carolina played. A 8-5 record against the Top 100 wasn't enough for the Gamecocks, and a weak schedule is likely to blame.
Valparaiso Crusaders (26-6, 16-2)
Had the Crusaders not lost to Green Bay in the semifinals of the Horizon League tournament, they might have made it. Valpo posted a solid 4-2 record against Top 100 teams, and even beat Oregon State. But four of Valparaiso's losses came against teams outside the Top 100. That likely ruined their changes.