Four things to watch for in the NCAA tournament bracket preview this weekend

Yet this season is a creature all its own for obvious reasons, and a glimpse at how the selection committee sizes up even the top 16 teams might offer some glimmer of how the top of the field might look in another four weeks.

Among the things to keep an eye on when the teams are revealed at 12:30 p.m. Saturday on CBS. …

Value of total games played: Most of the teams jostling for spots on the top seed lines are at or approaching 20 games in the bank. Gonzaga (19-0) and Houston (17-2) will get there this weekend. Alabama (16-5), Ohio State (16-4) and Iowa (14-6) are already there. Illinois (13-5) isn’t far off.

But both Michigan (13-1) and Villanova (13-2) had long virus-related pauses, and Baylor (17-0) is stuck in one now. How much will the number of data points matter? If Michigan or Villanova finds itself on the top line (and the Wolverines in particular have a solid claim to a No. 1 seed), the committee will have provided an answer.

Value of road/neutral victories: A road game in 2020-21 isn’t the same as in other years. Yes, there are plane rides and hotel stays and some extra hoops to jump through. But with fans limited (if not entirely absent) from on-campus arenas, home-court advantage isn’t what it usually is.

So will road success be rewarded nearly as much? Hard to say, but there might not be much to read into from the committee’s reveal. No one needs to know Ohio State’s record outside Columbus (7-3) to realize the Buckeyes are good. As in most years, teams like those will be treated well, anyway.

The more intriguing teams are ones closer to the edge of the field like Saint Louis (9-3 overall but 0-2 on the road) and Minnesota (13-7 overall but 0-6 on the road), programs with some accomplishments but none outside their home gyms. Neither is going to pop up in Saturday’s reveal, but both could use a hint on whether road success matters as much as usual this year.

Is there an unusual trend in the metrics? The NET (and the RPI before it) are merely sorting tools, so the better idea here is to compare things like Quadrant 1 performance or lack of Quadrant 3 and 4 losses. Rest assured, there will be an attempt to find a trend, though that doesn’t mean it will hold up a month from now.

One team to watch for here is Missouri (13-4), which is 5-3 in Quadrant 1 games; only Ohio State, Gonzaga and Baylor have more. And while the Tigers have no truly questionable losses, they’re just 34th in the NET.

Is there a surprise team included? Just like in mid-March in most seasons, it’s not hard to scribble down at least a dozen teams certain to be allocated a No. 4 seed or better. A bunch of teams already mentioned, along with the likes of Tennessee and Virginia will probably be in the conversation as well.

How is the surplus of quality non-Baylor Big 12 teams, such as Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech and West Virginia treated? Or metrics darling Colorado (11th on KenPom.com, 12th in the NET entering Friday)? Or, more realistically, Pac-12 leader Southern California (16-3)?

There won’t be tea leaves to read on every front. For instance, the willingness of the committee to select a .500 (or worse) team as an at-large won’t be determined until next month. Yet there should be something to take away from Saturday’s exercise as the postseason draws just a bit closer.

No. 22 Loyola Chicago at Drake (noon Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday, both games on ESPN2): It’s the two-day series of the year in the Missouri Valley. Drake was 18-0 before its loss at Valparaiso on Sunday; it clobbered Northern Iowa on Wednesday in response. The visiting Ramblers (17-3, 12-1) have won 10 in a row and are darlings in both the NET (13th) and KenPom (15th).

No. 12 Oklahoma at No. 14 West Virginia (1 p.m. Saturday): It’s a matchup for second place in the Big 12, as Oklahoma (12-5, 7-4) tries to polish off a season sweep. The Mountaineers (14-5, 7-3) have turned back Kansas and Texas Tech by double-digit margins in their last two outings, though some late free throws courtesy of ejected Red Raiders coach Chris Beard helped widen things earlier this week in Lubbock.

Oregon at Arizona (2 p.m. Saturday, ESPN2): Barring some rescheduled games (namely trips to Southern California and UCLA), this might be the best opportunity left for the Ducks (11-4, 6-3 Pac-12) to impress in the regular season (a home game against Colorado could also help). Still, this isn’t a vintage Arizona team. The postseason-ineligible Wildcats (14-6, 8-6) had dropped three of four before Thursday’s victory over Oregon State.

No. 5 Villanova at No. 19 Creighton (5 p.m. Saturday, Fox): It’s the first of two meetings for the top teams in the Big East. Villanova (13-2, 8-1) has won five of six since returning from a pause, while Creighton (15-5, 11-4) has avoided postponements and isn’t scheduled to play again until Feb. 24.

North Carolina at No. 9 Virginia (6 p.m. Saturday, ESPN): Some postgame frivolity after a rivalry victory at Duke led to North Carolina’s game against Miami getting shelved. The Tar Heels (12-6, 7-4 ACC) lost a play date, and now have to deal with league leader Virginia (14-3, 10-1) on the road. The Cavaliers have won six in a row in the series and haven’t lost to North Carolina at home since 2012.

No. 3 Michigan at No. 21 Wisconsin (1 p.m. Sunday, CBS): The visiting Wolverines (13-1, 8-1 Big Ten) haven’t played since Jan. 22 thanks to a departmentwide shutdown in Ann Arbor. It’s fair to expect some rust in a rematch with the Badgers (15-6, 9-5), who have played six times since Michigan’s last outing.