In Friday's Weekend Watch, we discussed the importance of full conference play. In particular, it is now impossible for even the most road-averse teams to avoid games at the other team's gym. To wit:</p>
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KENTUCKY (2): The Wildcats played just their third true road game of the season and lost their SEC opener at Georgia 77-70. UK lost previously at North Carolina before winning at Louisville. In this case, the result was more significant for Georgia. Much was expected of the Bulldogs coming into the season, but they were only on the outskirts of NCAA consideration before Saturday's big win.</p>
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MISSOURI (1): The Tigers were on cruise control heading into Colorado on Saturday, but the Buffaloes had other ideas in an easy 89-76 victory. Mizzou won its only other true road game at Oregon, but one has to wonder if last week's Big 12 tune-up against North Alabama (?!?) was enough to ready the Tigers for the hazards of their conference opener.</p>
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VANDERBILT (2): Another highly rated SEC team lost its league opener on the road, this one at South Carolina in overtime. Vandy dropped a prior road game at Missouri, also in overtime, while also winning at Middle Tennessee State. You just can't replicate playing a familiar opponent in a hostile arena.</p>
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KANSAS STATE (2): K-State has pretty much taken on all comers this season, including Washington State in Pullman (a 63-58 victory). But that was one of just two true road games for the Wildcats before venturing into Stillwater on Saturday. So is it a huge surprise that Oklahoma State came out on top in the Big 12 opener for both teams?</p>
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CINCINNATI (2): The Bearcats had managed just a pair of in-state road contests -- at Toledo and at Miami (Ohio) -- before putting their perfect record on the line Sunday at Villanova. That the Wildcats won rather easily was a surprise to only those not paying attention.</p>
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UCF (2): Central Florida was able to avoid the road for all but two games (at Stetson, at Massachusetts) heading into Saturday's Conference USA game at Houston. The Cougars won 76-71, knocking the Golden Knights from the ranks of the unbeaten.</p>
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TENNESSEE (1): The rollercoaster Vols became the third SEC contender to drop its league opener, falling at Arkansas by a 68-65 count. Tennessee also lost its only other true game at Charlotte 49-48. In fairness, the NCAA classifies Tennessee's big December win over Pitt as a neutral game even though it was played at the new Consol Energy Center in downtown Pittsburgh.</p>
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What do all of these teams have in common? The numbers in parentheses above tell the whole story: they represent the number of true road games played by each team prior to its first league games away from home, all losses.</p>
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Coincidence? We think not. Home-road disparity continues to be the most corrupting on-court dynamic in college basketball. I don't have a solution, but it's a bigger and bigger part of how teams are evaluated for the NCAA tournament and beyond. And we all know the story only starts with these seven teams.</p>
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Other notes on this week's bracket:</p>
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1. The number of undefeated teams is down to five. We have the four No. 1 seeds -- Duke, Ohio State, Kansas and Syracuse -- plus San Diego State. The Aztecs have been tested comparably with road victories at Gonzaga and Cal, plus impressive home wins over Saint Mary's and Wichita State. They have also won their first two Mountain West contests, both away from home, at TCU and Utah. Their No. 2 seed this week is completely legitimate.</p>
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2. Among the three Big East teams on the No. 3 line, I ranked them in this order: Notre Dame, UConn and Villanova. Villanova has the highest poll ranking and best league record (3-0), but has played far and away the weakest schedule both in and out of conference. This will all even out, of course, but the Irish and Huskies each have considerably more in the "quality win" department (with Notre Dame also owning a head-to-head victory over Connecticut).</p>
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UNDERRATED (e.g., better seeds than you'd expect): Notre Dame, Illinois, Wisconsin, Washington, Florida, Saint Mary's.</p>
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OVERRATED (lesser seeds than you'd expect): Missouri, Georgetown, Kansas State, Baylor, Memphis.</p>
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Tulane (Conference USA), Hofstra (Colonial) and Fresno State (WAC) are the week's "bid thieves." All are in the new bracket as very early conference leaders. None are actually projected to win their respective conferences once schedules even out, although one would have to give more serious consideration to Hofstra in the CAA.</p>