March Madness 2012: Big Name Schools Who Won't Live Up to the Hype

Prepare to throw the chalk out the window this year; March Madness is on the verge of being even crazier than usual. 

With the tournament bracket set, teams across the country are preparing for what promises to be the wildest three weeks in sports. Every season, we see big name teams who just can't cut the mustard. They either stink up the joint, falling apart at the first hint of pressure, or find themselves in a nightmare matchup against a team whose style perfectly counteracts their own. 

Other times, it's a simple matter of choking away wins. No matter the reason, we always see big name schools heading home early. 

So, who will it be this year? These teams are a great place to start:

Wisconsin

Every season, the Badgers come in seeded somewhere between third and fifth. Every year, the Badgers crash out of the tournament before most people think they should. Don't expect this year to be an exception. 

Make no mistake, there's talent in Madison. Led by dynamic point guard Jordan Taylor and a plethora of sharpshooting big men like Mike Bruesewitz, Josh Gasser and Jared Berggren, they have talent to make them a tough out. Their defense is stingy and when their offense is clicking, they're tough to beat.

However, the Badgers can never seem to muster the offensive fortitude necessary to make a deep run in the tournament. Even when their defense is at its best, they occasionally struggle to make shots, particularly when they get into foul trouble.

It's going to happen at some point and if they get Vanderbilt in the Round of 32, expect to see Wisconsin heading home early once again.

Louisville

The Cardinals feel a little like a streakier version of last season's UConn team; if they really have pulled it together, they could be heading for the Final Four. Therein lies the rub for Rick Pitino's squad: have they really put their earlier season funk behind them?

With guards Peyton Siva and Kyle Kuric, they have a pair of dynamos capable of lighting up an opponent if their shots are falling. The Cardinals have a stifling defense behind Gourgi Deng, but as we saw in the regular season, if they go cold then they can't beat anyone.

On top of that, Siva's decision making isn't exactly stellar and if he has a bad day, the Cardinals will be the victims of another early upset. 

Louisville pulled out of their funk in the Big East tournament, but is it permanent or will they crash again? That hot-cold tendency is why the Cardinals are doomed to crash out before the tournament's second weekend. 

Kentucky

It's not that the Wildcats aren't talented; they have one of the most talented starting fives in basketball, led by the likes of Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Terrence Jones, Marquis Teague and Doron Lamb. That alone is enough to virtually ensure a trip into the second weekend of the tournament. 

But that's where things get dicey for John Calipari's team. The young team lacks postseason experience, which will be an issue if they get down early to someone. On top of that, they go just two or three deep on the bench and Calipari tends to avoid using his bench whenever possible.

In the tournament, shallow teams without experience tend to go home early, no matter how talented they happen to be. Not to mention, Teague has still not developed into a true point guard and his decision making and shot selection both need work. 

When your starting point guard is as streaky as Teague and you lack the depth to make plays off your bench, you're not going to win a title. Don't expect Kentucky to be an exception to that rule.