By Jesse Temple
FOXSportsWisconsin.com
Should we really be surprised at the vast number of upsets that occurred during conference tournament play last week? Kentucky and Syracuse may be the cream of the college basketball crop, but even those teams are susceptible, as evidenced by their losses to Vanderbilt and Cincinnati, respectively. If there's one thing we know, it's that college basketball results can be wacky, and that should make for yet another memorable NCAA tournament beginning this week. Here's a look at the final power rankings of the regular season:
The Wildcats showed they weren't invincible after all when they lost to Vanderbilt in the SEC tournament championship. It may have been the best thing for Kentucky, a young team that will quickly refocus to make a national title run.
Syracuse seemed to struggle with Cincinnati's zone defense during the Big East tournament semifinal, and other teams likely took note. The Orange shoot 34.5 percent on 3-pointers, ranking 150th in the nation.
The Tigers conducted a heck of a Big 12 swan song, winning the conference title in their last season before bolting for the SEC. This may be the best team Missouri has ever had, and it could lead to the Tigers’ first Final Four appearance in program history.
Spartans forward Draymond Green is on pace to become the first player from a power-six conference to average at least 15 points, 10 rebounds and three assists in a season since Tim Duncan in 1996-97. Green is the key to another Final Four run.
We don't know the extent of John Henson’s left wrist injury, but it was bad enough that he didn't play in the ACC tournament title game. He’s a two-time conference defensive player of the year, and his absence would be a severe blow to the Tar Heels’ national title hopes.
It would have been nice to see Border War III between Kansas and Missouri in the Big 12 championship, but the Jayhawks lost to Baylor in the semis. An extra day of rest probably doesn't hurt as Kansas prepares to play a dangerous Detroit team in the NCAA tournament.
We assume Jared Sullinger will leave for the NBA after this season, which makes this his second (and last) chance to lead the Buckeyes on a special tournament run. A year ago, Ohio State lost in the Sweet 16 to Kentucky.
Under Coach K, the Blue Devils have made it past the first weekend of the NCAA tournament in 12 of the last 14 seasons. That’s astounding consistency. Can they make it 13 for 15?
The selection committee didn’t do the Racers any favors by giving them a No. 6 seed, but Murray State can prove doubters wrong in the next two weeks. The Racers are the only Division I team with just one loss.
Perry Jones III came alive in the Big 12 tournament, averaging 21.7 points and 9.7 rebounds over three games and showing why NBA scouts are salivating over the 6-foot-11 sophomore.
The Wolverines looked awful in a 77-55 loss to Ohio State in the Big Ten tournament semifinals. Sensational freshman point guard Trey Burke uncharacteristically had eight turnovers in that game. Michigan fans hope it was just a one-time occurrence.
Maybe it was simply a poor matchup, but Marquette amassed a season-worst 26 turnovers in a Big East tournament loss to Louisville. That’s one shy of the tournament record. Perhaps they got it out of the way early, before the big dance.
The Seminoles just might be the hottest team in the land, entering the NCAA tournament off consecutive victories against Duke and North Carolina. They beat both the Blue Devils and Tar Heels twice in one season, showing they're for real.
The Badgers won a Big Ten tournament game for the first time since 2008, but the stay in Indianapolis didn't last long; Wisconsin fell to Michigan State 65-52 in the semifinals. Still, the Badgers likely had their a No. 4 seed locked up even before the loss.
The Gaels can prove they're not just a nice mid-major story, but it won't be easy this week. Saint Mary's plays Purdue in the second round and likely would meet Kansas in the round of 32.
Hoyas fans are hoping recent history doesn't repeat itself. Georgetown has been bounced from the tournament without a win in each of the past two seasons. The Hoyas will try to avoid a three-peat as the No. 3 seed against No. 14 Belmont.
We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, but how fun would it be to see Indiana and Kentucky meet in a Sweet 16 matchup in the South Region? The Hoosiers won the game of the season against the Wildcats on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Christian Watford in December — Kentucky’s only loss before Sunday.
Point guard Peyton Siva stepped his game up substantially to take home Big East tournament MVP honors. In four games, he averaged 13.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.8 assists. The Cardinals are on a roll entering the Big Dance.
The Gators nearly stunned Kentucky in the SEC tournament before falling short, 74-71. They might have found a new weapon in 6-10 junior Erik Murphy, who scored a career-high 24 points in the loss.
The Mountain West Conference is one of the best non-power conferences in the land, as evidenced by the four NCAA tournament bids. New Mexico showed it was the best of the bunch, winning the conference tournament for the first time since 2005.
Superstar sophomore Jamaal Franklin landed in hot water last weekend for flipping the bird to a referee during the MWC tournament. He has since apologized. Hopefully that story won't overshadow the play of Franklin (17.2 points per game), a player to watch this week.
The Runnin' Rebels shot out to a 17-4 lead against New Mexico in the MWC tournament semifinals but couldn't hold it despite playing at home. This team hasn't won an NCAA tournament game since 2008 but will be favored in a second-round game against No. 11 seed Colorado.
Commodores guard John Jenkins was overcome with emotion, lying on the court in tears after Vanderbilt knocked off Kentucky to win its first SEC tournament title since 1951. It's a great story, and Jenkins (19.9 points per game) could become a story in the NCAA tournament.
The Bluejays have a tough draw as a No. 8 seed in the Midwest Region. They'll have to beat No. 9 Alabama and then presumably face No. 1 North Carolina. Creighton's Doug McDermott will probably have to score in bunches.
The Shockers have won two NCAA tournament games since 1981, both coming in 2006. The No. 5 seed in the South Region could be a surprise team this season but will need to get past No. 12 VCU, a Final Four darling a season ago.
