Sweet 16 2012: 5 Powerhouses We Want to See Crumble Under Pressure

When it comes to college basketball, the powerhouse programs seem to dominate way too much. Just like in college football, there are always those schools who get the top recruits, the best calls on the court and undoubtedly the most complete media coverage. 

It seems unfair, especially to the universities who seemingly have put more time, work and effort into their teams, to be overlooked so blatantly. Some of these powerhouses more than deserve to crash and burn, and we here at B/R are more than ready to watch them get taken down by their Sweet 16 opposition.

Whether it be complete arrogance and self-centeredness, a historical dominance or just poor play in the Dance alone, these are five squads we lust to see take their turn crumbling under the pressure.  

South, (No. 1) Kentucky

Who better to start this list off than the overall No. 1 seed in the tournament? One of the youngest overall squads in the nation, the Wildcats have emerged as a more talented squad than pretty much every team they've faced all season. 

Under the guise of possibly one of the best active coaches in the spread in John Calipari, freshman forward Anthony Davis has flourished. Only receiving one loss in the regular season to Indiana by a buzzer beater, UK fell once more to Vanderbilt in the SEC Tournament Finals. 

Just the fact that seemingly every impact player for Kentucky isn't even an upperclassmen, including freshman forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, freshman guard Marquis Teague and sophomore guard Doron Lamb, makes the Wildcats a very hatable target.

Many fans believe in that growing to become an upperclassmen is an extremely important right of passage in college basketball. Kentucky, on the other hand, has gone in the complete opposite direction in this sense and is not only competing, but is in fact the favorite to win it all.

It is for these reasons, and many others, that many a basketball fan is praying for this upset-minded No. 4 Indiana team to pull off another win over the Wildcats.   

Midwest, (No. 2) Kansas

When it comes down to it, Kansas is basketball. The Jayhawks have been one of the few programs nationwide to continue to dominate on such a consistent basis in the modern era, making them a prominent team to hate come the postseason.

Under head coach Bill Self, KU has been dangerous. Their experienced frontcourt composed of juniors Thomas Robinson and Jeff Withey and senior Tyshawn Taylor has brought them yet another Big 12 regular-season title and an extremely high seed in the Dance.

Almost no one outside the state of Kansas likes to see such consistent success from them. When a program starts off the year ranked in the Top 10 just because they're "that program," it frustrates people, and Kansas is just one of those kinds of universities. 

With an outmatched No. 11 North Carolina State coming out to face the Jayhawks next, don't expect much national love for this Kansas squad. 

East, (No. 2) Ohio State

Starting off the year a favorite to win it all can doom a team to be hated if it's for the wrong reasons. One of the many "wrong reasons" would be owning one of the nation's top players who, in this case, is Jared Sullinger. 

The Buckeyes began the season favored to not only win the Big Ten, but possibly the whole enchilada. Instead, they failed to win their conference regular season or tournament titles, sinking this formerly preferred squad down to a undesirable No. 2 seed.

To add fuel to the fire, sophomore forward Jared Sullinger didn't perform as expected. Fans will at least respect teams who base their entire strategy around a single player and he executes admirably, but a squad who claims to be on top because of a teammate who doesn't actually produce is downright maddening.

Ohio State's arrogance is what will draw the most hatred come this Sweet 16 as they take on the heavily underrated No. 6 Cincinnati. Expect the Bearcats to play off that kind of energy and possibly send the Buckeyes packing.  

South, (No. 3) Baylor

While Baylor is one of the most inspiring stories of the past decade, it all comes down to performance once the tournament comes around. The Baylor basketball program was crippled just under 10 years ago due to murder and an ensuing coverup, causing the NCAA to place massive sanctions on a university that had been such a force on the hardwood for years.

In steps former Valparaiso coach Scott Drew who not only rebuilt this crumbling program, but has it back in the mix for a national title. His strong recruiting tactics lands big-time players such as Quincy Acy, Pierre Jackson, Brady Heslip and Perry Jones III, more than putting them in contention for their conference this past season. 

Then, after losing to Missouri in the Big 12 Tournament finals, the Bears stroll into the Dance, only to barely squeak out a win over No. 14 South Dakota State. Their neon-yellow uniforms haven't exactly been pleasing either as many a fan lost confidence in the Bears' ability to go deep into this year's tournament. 

We still have yet to see Baylor's superstar sophomore forward Perry Jones III show up to any tournament games, scoring just a combined nine points in the past two games. 

A lack of trust along with a desire to see such an overachieving squad like Xavier move on is what leaves Baylor as an outcast in this Sweet Sixteen from a fan's perspective. 

East, (No. 1) Syracuse

Coming in as this year's ultimate bad guy, the Orange are certainly not receiving any love from most anywhere in the nation. The hatred that is concentrated on Syracuse is a result of many things ranging from their reliance on a single player to the outbreak of scandal just preceding the Dance.

First, let us begin with sophomore center Fab Melo and his untimely suspensions. During the year, the big-time player was suspended due to grade issues, leading to the team's first and only regular season loss. Now, 'Cuse has lost him again due to probably the same issue (still declared "unknown") which more than leads many a fan to see this squad as a surefire top seed to get knocked off.

Secondly, we can take a look at the scandal that surrounds this program following self-reported violations of internal drug policy. No one wants to support a team that is in the middle of a impropriety, especially when it's a team like the Orange who dominated all year under the guise of legendary coach Jim Boeheim.

To conclude, many people just don't like Syracuse due to their historical prowess on the hardwood. It's a combination of these factors that lead to a multiplicity of fans desiring to watch them fall apart against No. 4 Wisconsin.