Top Two Teams Tumble

Both number 1 ranked Kansas and number 2 ranked Kentucky lost yesterday which not only shakes up the brackets, but adds a bit of intrigue to the final week of the NCAA regular season. The door is wide open for Syracuse to be the top ranked team in the country and go into the tournament with the easiest road. You also have to feel for Purdue, who just lost their best player, Robbie Hummel for the rest of the season. Its hard to see them capitalizing on their opportunity without Hummel in the lineup. Beyond the new look Top 25, there is quite a bit of irony and interest that Kansas (KU) and Kentucky (UK) both lost on the same day.

Kansas and Kentucky have been linked together for some time, both are predominate basketball schools, that year in year out have permanent homes in the Top 25. This season not only were KU and UK ranked 1 and 2, but with the exception of 2 weeks one or the other has been the top ranked team this entire season (mainly KU). Kansas has never been ranked lower than 3rd at any point this year, and Kentucky has always been in the top 5 as well. Now both are teetering in that range again, and could see their number 1 seeds slip away if they stumble again before the year is out or have an early exit in their conference tournament. Both KU and UK have lost to one ranked opponent and one unranked opponent. And for both of them that ranked opponent was the Tennessee Volunteers.

While these losses are a body blow to each team, I wouldn’t worry too much. Kansas has a tough matchup with K-State, but if they get past them they should be fine. I expect both teams to be number 1 seeds, and it wouldn’t shock me in the least to see either one cutting down the nets in early April.