In a weekend filled with higher-seeded losses and double-digit seed victories, only one clear-cut regional favorite (the Kansas Jayhawks) made an unexpected exit.  All of the remaining three #1 seeded teams won their first two contests in rather convincing fashion. 

Kentucky dismantled East Tennessee State and Wake Forest, just as they should have.  Their superstars – John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins and Eric Bledsoe – look like their talents will have no equal in the tournament.  And may I just mention that they don’t resemble freshmen at all.

Syracuse took full advantage of their unofficial home court edge.  They didn’t exactly blast Vermont – but they cruised to victory in the second half.  The Orange did blast Gonzaga, making them look like a Division III team.  Wesley Johnson and Andy Rautins are playing a level above all of their competitors right now.

Evan Turner may be able to carry the Buckeyes to a Final Four appearance.

Duke used stellar team defense to wax Arkansas-Pine Bluff, and to keep a dangerous California team at bay on Sunday.  In typical Blue Devil fashion, Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler picked up the slack for a lackluster Jon Scheyer performance – proving that Duke’s team based formula has not changed through the years.

The Jayhawks fall opened the door for Evan Turner’s Ohio State team to make a splash into the Final Four.  After another weekend of good ball-playing, the Buckeyes – who may have very well garnered a #1 seed if not for a mid-season injury to Turner – can be in Indianapolis.  And with the most complete player (maybe not the most talented, but currently the most complete) on your roster, just about anything is possible.

But if this past weekend has taught us anything, it is that teams cannot afford to look ahead.  The opening weekend brought us some intriguing match-ups. 

And with 16 teams squaring off that have each knocked out two of the top teams in the nation, the intrigue is bound to continue.