(which is 8-0-go Dara), 7-1 BC, nor 6-2 Georgia Tech and yet the ACC is the highest rated by the RPI (see Creme's article linked). The RPI rating might be top heavy as he projects our conference with 2 #1 Seeds (same as last year), NC State-3, and Syracuse-4 with Miami at 6 and Florida State at 10 being the only other two ACC teams in, leaving 9 teams out. I can't remember the last time Duke and North Carolina both missed the tourney. It's still a long season, but If this happens I assume it will be the last season for McCallie where Duke has made 24 of the last 25 tourney's but hasn't been to the Elite 8 since 2013. Also they may make Hatchell retire even though she has 1010 career wins but her team hasn't made the tourney since 2015. Her 1 National Championship was1994. Of course she's still younger than their new football coach who they just rehired, and also has 1NC, so you never know
Contrast the ACC with the Pac-12 which Creme says is the second-rated league by the RPI but he has 7 teams in. This includes 5 seeded teams (#1 Oregon, #2 Oregon State, #3's Cal & Stanford-in our region again, #4 ASU) plus #8 USC and #10 Colorado . Of the 5 teams left out it includes 7-0 Utah, 6-1 Arizona, last year's elite 8 team UCLA (3 straight regionals), and 2016 Final 4 team Washington. Given that bracket projection and history, it's hard to understand why it's rated below the ACC.
The SEC (which Creme says is a lowly 6 RPI rated league) somehow has the most in with 8 teams in and have only 6 left out. Still it's not top heavy since only are 2 seeded: #2 Mississippi State-in our bracket & #3 Tennessee. Here is Creme's inaugural bracket article where the title mentions a top SEC team seeded 8th while "mid-majors make waves". By the way the top 2 mid major seeds ND beat in Vancouver (#6 Drake and #6 Gonzaga).
...watch the # of teams perched in the top start rising. I hate to be cynical, but ESPN has been riding the SEC Network hard and it translates if you hear it often enough.
Of course, VA Tech should be considered right now and I'll bet you they only get better as seasons go on.
Thanks for bringing this to our attention.