Traditional powerhouses feeling blue this Selection Sunday

Posted March 14, 2010 11:00 pm

By Lindsey Willhite

A month before the 2009-10 season began, USA Today's Jeff Sagarin fed his computer 72 years' worth of college basketball results and it spat out rankings for the sport's all-time greatest programs.

In the wake of the unique 65-team field unveiled Sunday by the NCAA Tournament committee, Sagarin might need to update those ratings.

While Kansas (No. 3 all time) and Kentucky (No. 1 all time) are the top two seeds pointed toward the Final Four on April 3-5 in Indianapolis, where did the sport's other bluebloods go?

No. 2 UCLA, No. 4 North Carolina (the defending NCAA champion), No. 5 Indiana and No. 6 Illinois are out of the tournament field simultaneously for the first time since 1966 - and the Illini were the only ones who carried hope into Selection Sunday.

"The rhetoric was that we were out, then we were in," said Illinois coach Bruce Weber. "There's always one or two they miss - and this time we were one or two that was missed."

Arizona missed for the first time since 1984 - capping the second-longest streak in tournament history. Connecticut, which won two NCAA titles in the last 10 years and played to last year's Final Four, missed as well.

"You know, it is strange, because obviously those are formidable teams with great traditions," said UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero, the NCAA Tournament committee's chairman. "But I believe it's reflective of the culture of college basketball this year.

"As a result of that, there's an opportunity for other teams out there, maybe teams that wouldn't have gotten in if those teams were back in, to create their own great stories."

So what might happen during a March Madness without as many familiar names? Let's take a look:

Midwest (St. Louis)Kansas earned the No. 1 overall seed and the most convenient path to the Final Four. The Jayhawks get to play their first two games in Oklahoma City.Bill Self's squad could douse two of the Big Ten's better bets along the way. There's a chance for Sweet Sixteen revenge against fifth-seeded Michigan State, which beat the Jayhawks 67-62 last year, and a regional final looming against second-seeded Ohio State.The Buckeyes have won 14 of their last 15 and present a potential Chicago playground matchup between Evan Turner and Kansas senior Sherron Collins.East (Syracuse)Kentucky didn't make the NCAA Tournament last year, but John Calipari proved again to be the sport's most compelling figure by rebuilding the Wildcats so quickly.Calipari's young guns could face some of the most athletic lineups in the game as Texas (8 seed), New Mexico (3 seed) and West Virginia (2 seed) are in UK's path.In a weird coincidence, this regional features five of the top 10 defenses in the NCAA Tournament, according to Ken Pomeroy's Defensive Efficiency stats.Wouldn't it be fun to see the winner of the Wisconsin/Temple second-round game against Kentucky?South (Houston)The pundits and critics wondered why Duke (29-5) picked up the No. 3 overall seed, but the Blue Devils join Kansas as the field's only teams that rank among the top five in offensive and defensive efficiency.There aren't many teams in this bracket who enter the tournament on a roll, which leaves things open for a team such as sixth-seeded Notre Dame (23-11).West (Salt Lake City)Syracuse claimed the final No. 1 seed in a close race with Big East rival West Virginia.The Orange is in a bracket with several intriguing teams that do one thing particularly well. No. 2 Kansas State, No. 7 BYU and No. 8 Gonzaga are offensive machines, while No. 5 Butler, No. 9 Florida State and No. 12 UTEP rank with the nation's finest defenses. NCAA Tournament fast factsThe Leagues: Bid distribution Big East 8 Big 12 7 ACC 6 Big Ten 5 Mountain West 4 SEC 4 Atlantic 10 3 Pac-10 2 The veterans: Longest NCAA appearance streaks Kansas-21 years Duke-15 Michigan State-13 Gonzaga-12 Texas-12 Wisconsin-12 The fortunate: Last two at-large in the field UTEP (12 seed) Utah State (12 seed) The rookies: first-timers Arkansas-Pine Bluff Wofford The long-lost: Haven't been invited since ... Houston-1992 UC Santa Barbara -2002 The outsiders: wrong side of the bubble Illinois (19-14) Mississippi State (23-11) Rhode Island (23-9) Virginia Tech (23-8) The bluebloods: uninvited big-name schools Arizona (first miss since 1984) Connecticut (second miss in nine years) Illinois (second miss in 11 years) North Carolina (first miss in Roy Williams' seven seasons) UCLA (first miss in six years)<div class="infoBox"><h1>More Coverage</h1><div class="infoBoxContent"><div class="infoArea"><h2>Stories</h2><ul class="links"><li><a href="/story/?id=365909">Illini cut out of the big dance [3/14/10]</a></li><li><a href="/story/?id=365936">Purdue knocked down to No. 4; Notre Dame thrilled with its 6 seed[3/14/10]</a></li><li><a href="/story/?id=365939">Northwestern hopes to learn from last year's NIT debacle [3/14/10]</a></li></ul></div></div></div>

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