Selection Sunday 2012: Power-Ranking the Four No. 2 Seeds

There's really not much to complain about as far as the four No. 1 seeds in the NCAA tournament are concerned. Kentucky, Michigan State, Syracuse and North Carolina are all worthy recipients.

However, a couple of the No. 2 seeds have a legit gripe. No doubt all four of them feel they could pass for a No. 1 seed.

Well, the only way they're going to prove that point is by going on a run through the NCAA tournament. And that, of course, will depend entirely on how strong they are.

For what it's worth, here's how I rank the four No. 2 seeds.

4. Duke Blue Devils (South)

Duke had a great season in 2011-2012, but there's no mistaking that this particular Duke team is not as strong as some of the other Duke teams we've seen in recent years. There's talent, but there are also a few weaknesses.

For me, the Blue Devils' biggest problem is the degree to which they rely on Austin Rivers.

He had a great freshman season, and it's even more impressive when you consider how much the team leaned on him. But in games where Rivers wasn't at his best, the Blue Devils have had to fight tooth and nail to score points.

This will be Duke's undoing in the Big Dance. Somebody other than Rivers is going to have to step up, and there simply aren't any clear candidates for who it might be. Take Rivers off the Blue Devils, and they're nothing special.

I doubt that the Blue Devils will be making a quick exit, but I just don't think they have enough firepower to make a deep run through the tourney.

3. Ohio State Buckeyes (East)

The Buckeyes are dangerous for two key reasons: they play great defense and they get a lot of high-percentage buckets.

Obviously, Jared Sullinger is the big star. He wasn't quite as sharp in his sophomore season as he was in his freshman season, but he's still a threat to score 20 points and pull down 10 rebounds in a given game. 

Fellow sophomore forward Deshaun Thomas is no slouch either. He's good for roughly 15 points a game, and he'll take some significant pressure off of Sullinger on the offensive end of the floor. 

The Buckeyes don't strike me as a potential national title contender, but they're playing in a bracket that features a lot of beatable teams. Even top-seeded Syracuse is a beatable team, which is good news to an Ohio State team that has its eyes on the Final Four.

2. Missouri Tigers (West)

If the Tigers proved one thing in beating Baylor to win the Big 12 tournament, it's that they can score.

Of course, we knew that before Missouri went out and beat the Bears in the final game of the tournament. The Tigers were one of the highest-scoring teams in the country during the regular season, not to mention one of the most efficient scoring teams.

It helps that the Tigers have a collection of guys who can all put the ball in the basket. Marcus Denmon is an elite scorer, and Kim English, Ricardo Ratliffe and Michael Dixon are all forces to be reckoned with as well.

The sheer wealth of scorers Missouri has on its roster makes it a legit threat to make it all the way to the Final Four, and the Tigers should also be counted as a legitimate national title contender. Missouri is on a roll, and the team has to know that it has a golden opportunity to make it to the Final Four for the first time in program history.

1. Kansas Jayhawks (Midwest)

Before it lost to Baylor in the Big 12 tournament, the Jayhawks were projected to be a No. 1 seed in the tournament.

If I'm on the Jayhawks, I'm therefore a little miffed that Kentucky, Syracuse and North Carolina all managed to grab No. 1 seeds. None of them won their respective conference tournaments either.

It's all water under the bridge now. All Kansas can do is prove to the selection committee that it made a mistake.

You better believe Kansas is a team to beat in the tournament. Thomas Robinson is an outstanding player, and he has the ability to put the team on his back (with a little help from Tyshawn Taylor, of course). Bill Self will be motivated to make sure his Jayhawks don't bow out early like they did in last year's tournament.

Kansas shares the Midwest bracket with North Carolina, but I'll wager the Jayhawks are the more dangerous team. The Tar Heels are a great team, but they proved on several occasions throughout the season that they're pretty beatable.

For your printable NCAA Bracket, click here.