We hardly knew ye... (first round exits)

Stanford earned one of the last selections into the NCAA Tournament, but the Cardinal did little to show it deserved the bid in an embarrassing 78-58 loss to Louisville in the first round.

With the Lopez twins in early foul trouble, Rick Pitino's team raced out to a 41-13 first-half lead in Lexington, Ky. The Cardinals had five players in double figures scoring and outscored their larger opponents 36-23 in the paint.

The only positive Stanford fans can take out of the NCAA Tournament is knowing that they didn't lose Brook Lopez to the NBA.

But Stanford wasn't the only Pac-10 team to bow out in the first round. The Arizona Wildcats, once touted as national championship contenders, capped a mediocre season with a 72-63 loss to Purdue.

Perhaps the biggest waste of talent and experience in the country, NBA prospects like Marcus Williams and Chase Budinger could never get it going throughout the second half of the season.

Purdue's Carl Landry had 21 points and 13 rebounds, as the Boilermakers only trailed once — by one point — all game.

Unlike Stanford, the Wildcats will probably lose a couple starters to the NBA, and Lute Olson will have to reload with another touted recruiting class next season.

Hate to say I told you so... (WSU upset)

If the 2006-2007 season for the Cougars was a dream, then their second-round exit to Vanderbilt could only be described as a nightmare.

Washington State began the season predicted to finish last in the Pac-10, but was the surprise of the West Coast, if not the nation, finishing second in one of the nation's toughest conferences.

Earning a number three seed in the NCAA Tournament, the Cougars hadn't participated in the big dance since 1994. They hadn't won a game since 1983.

So it was no surprise that they were expected to disappoint come March Madness. Numerous ESPN prognosticators predicted an early exit for WSU; some even had them losing at the hands of Oral Roberts.

The Cougars easily avoided a first-round shocker, beating Caleb Green and ORU 70-54.

But their road to the Sweet Sixteen would have to go through Derrick Byars, the SEC Player of the Year.

In the end, Byars hit all the big shots and made all the big plays to give the Commodores a come-from-behind, 78-74, double-overtime win over WSU and left many chalking up another tally in the "Coug it" column.

Better than advertised... (USC impresses)

Everyone loves to pick the 5/12 upset in their office pools and personal brackets, so it was no surprise that the country looked down upon USC's chances.

Not to mention, the unstoppable Kevin Durant and the Texas Longhorns would likely await in the second round.

But Nick Young and Co. would have none of it.

If the Trojans surprised with a 77-60 win over No. 12 Arkansas, they staggered the nation with an 87-68 dominating win over the Longhorns in the second round.

Then, after they knocked out the best player in its region, USC looked to eliminate the best team, fighting to a 16-point, second-half lead over No. 1 North Carolina.

It just wasn't meant to be.

The Tar Heels and Brandan Wright (21 points, nine rebounds) then flexed their muscles with a late 18-0 run that gave them the lead and demoralized the upstart Trojans.

Tim Floyd could only throw his clipboard and notebook out on the floor in frustration as his team's praiseworthy tournament run came to an end.

What? No more mid-majors? (Oregon's run)

Call it good fortune, or call it the rise of the mid-majors, but Oregon didn't have to play a big conference team until the Elite 8. Unfortunately for them, that team was the overall No. 1 seed and defending national champion, Florida.

After dominating the Pac-10 Tournament more than Billy Madison in a long-drive competition, the Ducks found themselves with a No. 3 seed in the NCAA's.

A first round match-up with Miami of Ohio appeared easy enough, and looked the same for the first 30 minutes of the contest. Oregon was just barely able to hold on for a 58-56 win, before eliminating everyone's favorite Cinderella in Winthrop with a 75-61 win two days later.

In a Sweet Sixteen match-up with UNLV, which had beaten the No. 2 seed Wisconsin the weekend before, the Ducks again flew to an early lead before making things interesting with a 76-72 win.

But in a shot at the Final Four, the Gators would not be beaten. Oregon's Tajuan Porter went cold, and Florida's Lee Humphrey couldn't miss. The Ducks' season ended with an 85-77 defeat.

We did what in the Pac-10 Tourney? (UCLA dominates)

UCLA dominated the Pac-10 from start to finish—then fell flat on its face in the first game of the conference tournament to Cal.

Regardless of the slow finish, the Bruins still earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and a favorable region location: San Jose, Calif.

Playing in its home state, UCLA didn't always look pretty, but always got the job done. In the opening round game, the Bruins swept aside Weber State, 70-42. Two days later they defeated Indiana, 54-49.

In a Sweet Sixteen match-up that set UCLA's Ben Howland against protégé Jamie Dixon, it was defense that again prevailed.

While the Bruins allowed over 50 points for the first time in the tournament, they shot 23-of-26 from the line to secure the 64-55 win. AP First Team All-American Arron Afflalo led his team to the Elite 8 with a team-high 17 points.

It was the Afflalo Show again against No. 1 Kansas in the regional final. The junior guard scored 15 of his game-high 24 points in the second half to secure his team a 68-55 win and a back-to-back trip to the Final Four.

Up next are Florida and a chance to avenge last year's championship game loss this Saturday.

Reach reporter Joshua Mayers at sports@thedaily.washington.edu.