College Basketball: 5 Top 25 Teams That Might Not Make the NCAA Tournament

Every year, there are a couple of teams with high preseason expectations that disappoint and end up missing out on the Big Dance.

Of course, all the teams on this list are very talented and have a good chance at earning a spot in the 2012 NCAA Tournament. After all, there is a reason to why they were voted into the preseason AP Top 25.

Missouri Tigers (No. 25)

After five years under Mike Anderson, Missouri basketball is entering a new era under Frank Haith. Haith wants to continue the fast-paced style of play that Anderson implemented at Missouri, but time will tell whether or not Anderson's players will thrive under Haith's system.

It looked like Missouri would return all five starters from last year's team, but forward Laurence Bowers will miss the entire season after tearing his ACL.

With Bowers, the Tigers were basically a lock for the NCAA tournament. Despite still having a good chance at going to the dance in 2012, the loss of Bowers could hurt them.

Missouri needs a post presence, and the Tigers now have one less option down low.

Gonzaga Bulldogs (No. 23)

Gonzaga lost leading scorer Steven Gray at the conclusion of last season. In addition, point guard Demetri Goodson left the team, leaving sophomore David Stockton with the honor of being the main floor general for the Zags.

The Zags have a solid frontcourt, with Robert Sacre and Elias Harris leading the way. But in the backcourt, the Bulldogs rely on Stockton, who played only 15.6 minutes per game last season, and freshmen Gary Bell Jr., Kevin Pangos and Kyle Dranginis.

With a thin lineup, Gonzaga will need these freshmen to step up as role players on the team. In a competitive WCC, the Zags will not be able to win the conference with only Sacre and Harris producing.

Alabama Crimson Tide (No. 19)

Alabama was snubbed from the NCAA tournament last year and was relegated to a No. 1 seed in the NIT.

The Crimson Tide returns its three leading scorers from last season, but many of last year's role players are no longer with the team.

Anthony Grant's solid freshman class, with two top 100 recruits, will need to fill in those gaps and step up as supporters for JaMychal Green, Tony Mitchell and Trevor Releford.

Arizona Wildcats (No. 16)

Following a trip to the Elite Eight, Arizona lost its two leading scorers. Derrick Williams left for the NBA and Lamont "MoMo" Jones transferred to Iona, leaving the Wildcats with only three players that averaged more than 20 minutes per game last season.

In addition, Kevin Parrom, who averaged 7.6 PPG, will not play until December at the earliest. 

All of the returning role players will have to take a big step forward and become leaders at Arizona. Players like Kyle Fogg and Solomon Hill, the top returning scorers for the Wildcats, will have to increase their production.

Fortunately, Arizona is bringing in one of the top recruiting classes in the nation, consisting of four top 100 recruits. If these guys live up to the hype and produce well, Arizona should live up to its preseason ranking.

Baylor Bears (No. 12)

Baylor has arguably the best frontcourt in college basketball. Perry Jones III, Quincy Acy and Quincy Miller will lead the attack; J'Mison Morgan and Anthony Jones will come off the bench.

There is no doubt that the Bears' big men will get the job done this season.

The doubt lies in the backcourt.

The departure of LaceDarius Dunn leaves a hole in the Baylor lineup. He led the Bears in scoring last year and was their main offensive threat.

Also, Baylor struggled with turnovers (16 per game) throughout last season. The main turnover issues were in the backcourt, where Dunn and A.J. Walton combined for seven turnovers per game.

Without guards that can take care of the ball, Baylor's season could end in disappointment.

Before they can make any plans for the postseason, the Bears need to figure things out in the backcourt.

Follow Jesse Kramer on Twitter @Jesse_Kramer for more college basketball news and information.