Joe Lunardi explains how Mike Miles being hurt affects TCU's March Madness seeding

The metrics show the Big 12 is the best league in college basketball this season, and the question is how many bids the league will get to March Madness. One intriguing team to watch is TCU since guard Mike Miles is hurt — and ESPN’s Joe Lunardi discussed how that impacts their seeding in the big dance.

Miles suffered a knee injury in TCU’s matchup against Mississippi State last month, and Lunardi said that could play a role in the committee’s decision come Selection Sunday if he doesn’t come back. Miles is a key piece of the TCU offense, leading the team with 18.1 points per game, and the Horned Frogs are 14-4 with him in the lineup.

Depending on how the Horned Frogs play in his absence, the committee could have an interesting call to make.

“I guess it depends on how he is if and when he comes back,” Lunardi said during halftime of Texas vs. Kansas. “Because, we can only evaluate the team right in front of us. Since that injury happened in the (Big 12)/SEC Challenge, they’ve been limited offensively, naturally. They’ve taken some hits.

“If they continue to take hits, the seed is going to drop. Then, the committee will need to see him return and then play at least, to the eye test, the way they did earlier in the year. For their sake, I hope that they do because this is one of the best seasons ever for TCU. But they’ve got to get whole and get playing well again.”

TCU isn’t on bubble watch, though. The Horned Frogs woke up Tuesday No. 17 in the NET rankings and in the AP Top 25. But they have a chance to boost their NCAA Tournament resume when they take on Kansas State Tuesday night.

Joe Lunardi believes Big 12 may present unprecedented problem for March Madness selection committee

Bubble teams will always get most of the attention, but the Big 12 is extremely top heavy. Multiple teams are going to be fighting for top seeds in the tournament and will be littered throughout the bracket. Because of that, the committee could find a problem on its hands come Selection Sunday.

“I think it helps the teams at the top,” Lunardi said during an appearance on ESPN’s Kansas–Texas halftime show. “In a way, this is like a Noah’s Ark situation. There’s two of everything. Right now, you have two twos, two threes, and two fours, which would be unprecedented. The way the bracketing rules are set up, the first four teams from every conference go in a separate region.

“Well, what happens when you have five or six? We could have some rematches in the Elite Eight or Sweet Sixteen before we get to the Final Four. That’s how good the top is.”