They do not... beginning of the season weighted the same as end.
Correct.
For a few years, there was a "Last 10" element, later extended to "Last 12" ... can't recall how long it was used or specifically when it was dropped ... maybe almost 20 years by now. I'm also not sure how much of a factor it played in the overall selection process.
The basic concept of having a L10/12 category, was to have teams in the field that were "playing their best basketball" down the stretch (compared to teams "limping into the tournament," so to speak).
Trouble is, you can't automatically quantify it simply thru W-L, since it doesn't account for strength of opponent during those games. Almost like it was "eye test with a winning percentage attached to it."