Field of 68

1 Seeds
Louisville 29-5
Indiana 27-6
Kansas 29-5
Gonzaga 31-2

2 Seeds
Miami 27-6
Duke 27-5
Georgetown 25-6
Ohio State 26-7

3 Seeds
New Mexico 29-5
Florida 26-7
Kansas State 27-7
Michigan State 25-8

4 Seeds
Michigan 26-7
Saint Louis 27-6
Marquette 23-8
Wisconsin 23-11

5 Seeds
Syracuse 26-9
Oklahoma State 24-8
UNLV 25-9
UCLA 25-9

6 Seeds
Oregon 26-8
Arizona 25-7
Notre Dame 25-9
North Carolina 24-10

7 Seeds
Pittsburgh 24-8
Creighton 27-7
VCU 26-8
Memphis 30-4

8 Seeds
Butler 26-8
North Carolina State 24-10
Colorado State 25-8
Missouri 23-10

9 Seeds
San Diego State 22-10
Illinois 22-12
Cincinnati 22-11
Iowa State 22-11

10 Seeds
California 20-11
Colorado 21-11
Villanova 20-13
Mississippi 26-8

11 Seeds
Minnesota 20-12
Oklahoma 20-11
Temple 23-9
Wichita State 26-8

12 Seeds
Belmont 26-6
Virginia 21-11
Saint Mary's 27-6
Boise State 21-10
Davidson 26-7
La Salle 21-9

13 Seeds
Akron 25-6
Bucknell 28-5
Iona 20-13
Pacific 22-12

14 Seeds
Harvard 19-9
South Dakota State 25-9
New Mexico State 24-10
Valparaiso 26-7

15 Seeds
Florida Gulf Coast 24-10
Northwestern State 23-8
Montana 25-6
Southern 23-9

16 Seeds
Albany 24-10
Western Kentucky 20-15
James Madison 20-14
LIU Brooklyn 20-13
North Carolina A&T 19-16
Liberty 15-20

Last Four In
Virginia 21-11
Saint Mary's 27-6
Boise State 21-10

La Salle 21-9

First Four Out
Tennessee 20-12
Middle Tennessee 28-5
Iowa 21-12
Stephen F. Austin 27-4

Next Four Out
Kentucky 21-11
Maryland 22-12
Southern Miss 25-9
Massachusetts 21-11

Notes: Louisville at Kentucky

1. What I'm getting ready to write is being written by pretty much everyone covering college basketball in the aftermath of the Cards-Cats contest. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is playing like a first team All-American. Anthony Davis has received more hype (which he's actually lived up to in large part), but Kidd-Gilchrist deserves the same amount of attention for the way he is playing. I'm not sure what's been more impressive about MKG's play - the effort he brings every single game on every single possession or the fact that he scores as much as he does without dominating the ball.

2. MKG's 24 and 19 was spectacular, and his play of late has been just about flawless. Still, I think Anthony Davis is the most important Wildcat. After foul trouble sidelined him for much of the first half, Davis finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 blocks. Put simply, Davis is a singular talent. There are no substitutes for his shot-blocking and ability to play above the rim.

3. Kentucky got the better of the Cards on Saturday and is the better team. But Louisville fans need not fret. Rick Pitino's squad held one of the four best teams in the country to 29.8% shooting from the field on its home court. If the Cards can develop any semblance of effectiveness in their halfcourt offense to go along with one of the nation's premiere defenses, they are going to be very difficult to beat.

4. Louisville's level of talent has been much-maligned in recent weeks as a result of the Cardinals' undefeated start and the inevitable comparisons to the heavyweights of the 2011-12 campaign - Syracuse, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Ohio State. While the Cards' talent level pales in comparison to the talent possessed by the top 4 teams in the country, I like their roster compared to just about everyone else, save perhaps Connecticut. Peyton Siva is a steady hand at point guard, and Kyle Kuric is a well-rounded player who can knock down the three and finish on the break. That much we knew coming into the season. Additionally, Chase Behanan, despite a number of bone-headed mistakes against the Cats, has lived up to his billing as one of the Big East's top freshmen. The surprises have come in the form of the emergence of sophomores Gorgui Dieng, one of the nation's most improved players and best shot blockers, and Russ Smith, quickly becoming a source of instant offense off the bench and a player who can create his own shot. The Cards also have a number of injured players who are working themselves back into the rotation or should be returning in the near future.

5. Terrence Jones is costing himself a lot of money with his play thus far this season. He was a likely lottery pick had he left after his freshman season, but he's not playing like a first round pick right now. He collected 11 rebounds and 3 steals, so it's not as if he was a non-factor on Saturday. That being said, 2 points in 30 minutes is just not enough production from a preseason first-team All-American - even one nursing an injured finger. Needless to say this is not the type of season Jones hoped for when he decided to return to Lexington.

Top 25

1. Ohio State 22-0
quality wins: @Florida, @Florida State, Minnesota, @Illinois, Purdue
previous rank: 1

2. Kansas 20-1
quality wins: Arizona(n), UCLA, Memphis(n), @Baylor, @Colorado, Kansas State
loss: Texas
previous rank: 4

3. Pittsburgh 20-2
quality wins: Maryland(n), Texas(n), Duquesne(n), Connecticut, Marquette, @Georgetown, Syracuse
loss: Tennessee(n), Notre Dame
previous rank: 3

4. Texas 18-3
quality wins: Illinois(n), North Carolina(n), @Michigan State, Texas A&M, @Kansas, Missouri
losses: Pittsburgh(n), @USC, Connecticut
previous rank: 7

5. Duke 19-2
quality wins: Marquette(n), Kansas State(n), Michigan State, Maryland, Boston College
losses: @Florida State, @St. John's
previous rank: 2

6. Connecticut 17-3
quality wins: Wichita State(n), Michigan State(n), Kentucky(n), @Texas, Villanova, Tennessee, @Marquette
losses: @Pittsburgh, @Notre Dame, Louisville
previous rank: 6

7. San Diego State 21-1
quality wins: @Gonzaga, St. Mary's, Wichita State, UNLV
loss: @BYU
previous rank: 5

8. Brigham Young 20-2
quality wins: Utah State, St. Mary's(n), Arizona(n), @UNLV, San Diego State
losses: UCLA(n), @New Mexico
previous rank: 10

9. Notre Dame 17-4
quality wins: Georgia(n), Wisconsin(n), Gonzaga, Georgetown, Connecticut, St. John's, Cincinnati, Marquette, @Pittsburgh
losses: Kentucky(n), @Syracuse, @Marquette, @St. John's
previous rank: 15

10. Villanova 17-4
quality wins: UCLA(n), Temple, Cincinnati, Louisville, Maryland, @Syracuse
losses: Tennessee(n), @Connecticut, @Providence, Georgetown
previous rank: 8

11. Missouri 17-4
quality wins: Vanderbilt, Illinois(n), Old Dominion, Kansas State
losses: Georgetown(n), @Colorado, @Texas A&M, @Texas
previous rank: 11

12. Kentucky 16-4
quality wins: Washington(n), Notre Dame(n), @Louisville, Georgia
losses: Connecticut(n), @North Carolina, @Georgia, @Alabama
previous rank: 16

13. Louisville 17-4
quality wins: UNLV, Marquette, St. John's, West Virginia, @Connecticut
losses: Drexel, Kentucky, @Villanova, @Providence
previous rank: 19

14. Purdue 18-4
quality wins: @Virginia Tech, Michigan State, Minnesota
losses: Richmond(n), @Minnesota, @West Virginia, @Ohio State
previous rank: 12

15. Texas A&M 17-3
quality wins: Temple(n), Washington, Missouri, Kansas State
losses: Boston College(n), @Texas, @Nebraska
previous rank: 13

16. Wisconsin 15-5
quality wins: Boston College(n), @Marquette, Minnesota, Illinois
losses: @UNLV, Notre Dame(n), @Illinois, @Michigan State, @Penn State
previous rank: 14

17. Georgetown 16-5
quality wins: @Old Dominion, Missouri(n), Utah State, @Memphis, St. John's, @Villanova
losses: @Temple, @Notre Dame, @St. John's, West Virginia, Pittsburgh
previous rank: NR

18. Minnesota 16-5
quality wins: North Carolina(n), West Virginia(n), Purdue
losses: Virginia, @Wisconsin, @Michigan State, @Ohio State, @Purdue
previous rank: 20

19. Syracuse 18-4
quality wins: Michigan State(n), Notre Dame, @St. John's, Cincinnati
losses: @Pittsburgh, Villanova, Seton Hall, @Marquette
previous rank: 9

20. Washington 15-5
quality wins: @UCLA, Arizona
losses: Kentucky(n), Michigan State(n), @Texas A&M, @Stanford, @Washington State
previous rank: 18

21. Arizona 18-4
quality wins: @Washington State, UCLA
losses: Kansas(n), Brigham Young(n), @Oregon State, @Washington
previous rank: NR

22. Vanderbilt 15-5
quality wins: North Carolina(n), Marquette, Georgia, St. Mary's
losses: West Virginia(n), @Missouri, @South Carolina, @Tennessee, Arkansas
previous rank: 17

23. Utah State 20-2
losses: @Brigham Young, @Georgetown
previous rank: 24

24. Florida 16-5
quality wins: @Florida State, Kansas State(n), @Xavier, @Tennessee, @Georgia
losses: Ohio State, Central Florida(n), Jacksonville, South Carolina, @Mississippi State
previous rank: NR

25. West Virginia 14-6
quality wins: Vanderbilt(n), @Duquesne, Cleveland State, @Georgetown, Purdue, @Cincinnati
losses: Minnesota(n), @Miami, St. John's, @Marquette, Marshall(n), @Louisville
previous rank: NR