I'm assuming that most "student-athletes" are satisfied with getting a scholarship (free college education) and playing their sport. Winning a national championship is not the reason (end all - be all reason) most recruits choose to go where they go. Look at the
ESPN Hoopgurlz rankings for any year. In most cases, the top 8-10 ranked players are blue chip quality players. They have their choice of any of the elite programs in the country that have a realistic chance of winning a NC.
As you go further down the list, the talent level decreases as do the number of offers. The "elite" programs (UConn, Baylor, South Carolina, Tennessee, Louisville, Maryland, Notre Dame, Oregon, Oregon St, Stanford, UCLA, Mississippi St, Texas A&M, etc, go after the elite players in each class because they have the ability to attract and sign them. Mid-major programs have no chance of signing an elite top 10 recruit.
Realistically, these players (their parents/camp) know that only a handful of programs have a chance of winning a NC. If they don't have the skill set or an offer to play at those programs, they "get in where they fit in", in an attempt to maximize their college experience. Some simply just want to play and enjoy the experience with the program they feel suits them best.
Look at the players at Oklahoma. They played, they played hard, they competed, they did the best they could. They didn't win, but I'll bet they were happy to have had the opportunity to play the #1 team in the country on national TV, and get that exposure. Sherri Coale knew going in they weren't going to win, but she wanted her girls to compete, play hard and not back down. They did that.
I doubt if Coale ever suggested that they could help the team win a NC when she recruited them. OU is NOT a top 5 team, and has zero chance of getting past the 2nd weekend of the tournament. Athletes that are not "blue chip" level players don't get recruited to "elite" programs, and are happy to get a scholarship period!!
The players that chose to go to schools in the AAC knew going in that there was no chance of winning a NC there. They chose to go to their school of choice for "other" reasons. Happiness is where you find it.