BIG TEN (2): MICHIGAN STATE, PURDUE — We all knew the Spartans would be here. But Purdue? It looks like the Boilermakers' mild upset of Washington gives the Big Ten an extra point over the Pac 10 in terms of which power conference is less disappointing. For bringing in seven teams, the results were definitely a mixed bag. Ohio State and Illinois lost in the first round to lower-seeded teams, Minnesota took a beatin' from Texas, and Michigan and Wisconsin won games they weren't supposed to.
Tourney Record: 6-5
ACC (2): NORTH CAROLINA, DUKE — Of course those two made it. Josh Mandell goes into further detail of the ACC's woes in the tournament, but if the Dukies and Tar Heels were woefully absent, then the bracket you're looking at is actually President Obama's dream college football tournament.
Tourney Record: 5-5
PAC 10 (1): ARIZONA — Of the six teams that entered, it had to be the last team in that's still around, didn't it? Southern Cal, UCLA, Arizona State, and Washington were all taken down in the second round, while California was nipped by Maryland on opening day.
Tourney Record: 6-5
ATLANTIC 10 (1): XAVIER — The A-10 is always a quietly deep conference. They always send out multiple bids, and they always do moderately well. Dayton took out a Big East team in the first round, and Temple lost to Arizona State. XU had a relatively easy path to the Sweet 16, demolishing Portland State and then Wisconsin, and with their eighth NCAA tournament trip in nine years, this is their sixth Sweet 16 in that span. They've even made it to the regional final twice, but they never quite get over the hump. That trend will likely continue this year.
Tourney Record: 3-2
CONFERENCE USA (1): MEMPHIS — Actually, I think only one team even exists in C-USA anymore. Memphis merely spent the conference playing against themselves, practicing, scheming, and waiting for the NCAA tournament.
Tourney Record: 2-0
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