Non-NCAA Tournament Teams Bringing in Loaded 2016 Recruiting Classes

The 2016 NCAA tournament will generate plenty of excitement over the next few weeks, but most of the teams playing college basketball won't be participating.

But there is still plenty to get excited for if you're one of the programs with a great recruiting class coming in, and many teams that didn't make the NCAA tournament have talented groups coming in.

Some of these classes could help a team make a postseason run next season, while others will be the solid foundation for a great future. We took a look at the best recruiting classes of teams that didn't make the NCAA tournament, according to 247Sports, and evaluated 10 recruiting classes that can help a lot next season.

Wake Forest

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

Danny Manning

Why they fell short: After some promising early-season wins over Indiana, UCLA and LSU, the young Demon Deacons had issues with injuries and suspensions that resulted in a mostly young roster. That roster in a deep ACC meant a tough season.

Incoming recruits: 4-star center Samuel Japhet-Mathias, 3-star forward Donovan Mitchell, 3-star shooting guard Richard Washington and 3-star point guard Brandon Childress.

Next season's outlook: With a four-man recruiting class and starters such as guard Bryant Crawford and forward Konstantinos Mitoglou both being underclassmen, Wake Forest has room to grow.

Harvard

John Raoux/Associated Press

Tommy Amaker

Why they fell short: The Crimson's season fell apart when point guard Siyani Chambers went down with a season-ending knee injury. With not much senior leadership, Harvard finished 14-16 and fourth place in the Ivy League.

Incoming recruits: 4-star point guard Bryce Aiken, 4-star small forward Seth Towns, 4-star power forward Chris Lewis, 3-star power forward Robert Baker, 3-star center Henry Welsh, 3-star shooting guard Justin Bassey, 2-star guard Christian Juzang.

Next season's outlook: Nearly the entire roster returns for Harvard, and the kind of talent it has on the roster from top to bottom makes it the likely Ivy League favorite. The Crimson could be a dangerous mid-major team next season. 

Auburn

John Bazemore/Associated Press

Bruce Pearl

Why they fell short: In Bruce Pearl's second season at Auburn, the Tigers struggled to make an impact, as they finished 11-20 and 5-13 in the SEC. Auburn relied heavily on some shot-happy seniors who could shoot the team in or out of a game.

Incoming recruits: 5-star guard Mustapha Heron, 4-star point guard Jared Harper, 3-star power forward Anfernee McLemore.

Next season's outlook: The addition of Heron is a big one as he should be an immediate contributor. There is a lot of young talent on the roster to grow with. The Tigers are likely another year away from being a serious threat, but they could emerge next season.

UMass

Jessica Hill/Associated Press

Derek Kellogg

Why they fell short: The Minutemen had a bad offense this season and some bad luck when freshman guard Luwane Pipkins was ruled ineligible. They were 14-18 and 6-12 in the Atlantic 10 this season.

Incoming recruits: 4-star guard DeJon Jarreau, 3-star guard Brison Gresham, 3-star forward Chris Baldwin, 3-star shooting guard Unique McLean.

Next season's outlook: With Pipkins coming in and a solid recruiting class led by the New Orleans duo of Jarreau and Gresham, the Minutemen get a significant talent upgrade next season and could have the makings of a sleeper team.

Minnesota

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

Richard Pitino

Why they fell short: The Golden Gophers dealt with injuries and suspensions and just didn't have the talent to compete with most of the rest of the Big Ten. The team was at times short on capable players and relied on some youngsters too soon.

Incoming recruits: 4-star shooting guard Amir Coffey, 4-star power forward Eric Curry, 3-star small forward Michael Hurt.

Next season's outlook: With the talented three-man recruiting class and the additions of Illinois State transfer Reggie Lynch and Texas A&M transfer Davonte Fitzgerald off transfer years, the Golden Gophers should have a nice talent influx around returning players such as Jordan Murphy and Nate Mason.

St. John's

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

Chris Mullin

Why they fell short: In head coach Chris Mullin's first season, St. John's was clearly in a rebuilding mode. It didn't help that the team couldn't play talented freshman guard Marcus LoVett, who was forced to redshirt.

Incoming recruits: 4-star guard Shamorie Ponds, 4-star forward Richard Freudenberg, 4-star forward Bashir Ahmed.

Next season's outlook: Things can only go up for the Red Storm after an 8-24 season, and the duo of LoVett and Ponds should be an exciting one that can create scoring opportunities. With promising young big men in Yankuba Sima and Kassoum Yakwe, St. John's should be fun to watch. 

Penn State

Kiichiro Sato/Associated Press

Pat Chambers

Why they fell short: The Nittany Lions finished 16-16 on the year but had a young team, as three of the top four scorers were underclassmen. Penn State picked it up and beat Indiana and Iowa at the end of the year.

Incoming recruits: 4-star point guard Tony Carr, 4-star forward Lamar Stevens, 3-star forward Joe Hampton, 3-star wing Nazeer Bostick.

Next season's outlook: Players always compete hard for Patrick Chambers. While next season will feature another young roster, there is plenty of talent for the team to make a major move up the Big Ten in the next few years.

Florida State

Steve Helber/Associated Press

Leonard Hamilton

Why they fell short: The Seminoles finished 19-13 and had a solid season, but Xavier Rathan-Mayes never clicked with freshmen Malik Beasley and Dwayne Bacon. As a result, Florida State never maximized its potential.

Incoming recruits: 5-star forward Jonathan Isaac, 4-star shooting guard Trent Forrest, 4-star point guard C.J. Walker, 3-star wing Mfiondu Kabengele.

Next year's outlook: Isaac gives Florida State a ridiculous, 6'10" wing who can create and score to go with an already potent offense. The potential talent of this Seminoles roster could be tremendous.

Mississippi State

John Bazemore/Associated Press

Ben Howland

Why they fell short: It was Ben Howland's first season, and he had to rely on freshmen such as Quinndary Weatherspoon and Malik Newman. Nevertheless, the Bulldogs showed promise with late wins over Vanderbilt, Alabama and South Carolina.

Incoming recruits: 4-star forward Mario Kegler, 4-star center Schnider Herard, 4-star guard Tyson Carter, 4-star guard Lamar Peters, 4-star guard Eli Wright, 4-star center Abdul Ado, 3-star forward E.J. Datcher.

Next season's outlook: Even if the Bulldogs lose Newman to the NBA draft, Weatherspoon looks like a quality SEC player, and this deep recruiting class helps to fill a lot of needs. With five 4-star prospects entering and some good, young players on the roster, Howland could turn things around quickly.

UCLA

Kelvin Kuo/Associated Press

Steve Alford

Why they fell short: The Bruins were one of this season's most disappointing teams, and a subpar defense helped lead them to a 15-17 record and 10th-place finish in the Pac-12.

Incoming recruits: 5-star guard Lonzo Ball, 5-star forward T.J. Leaf, 4-star center Ike Anigbogu, 3-star guard Kobe Paras.

Next season's outlook: The addition of two 5-star McDonald's All-Americans in Ball and Leaf is a huge talent upgrade, and Anigbogu could be a nice addition to the frontcourt rotation. Ball is a special kind of talent with the ball and could make the Bruins a must-watch team.

Recruiting ratings via 247Sports. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes and information were obtained firsthand.