Obvious favorite: At this point last season, it was obvious that Florida was the best team in the NCAA Tournament. The Gators played up to their talent and won the title. This year, it's obvious that Kansas is playing the best, so the Jayhawks have to be the choice at this point.

A different reason: There are no double-figure seeds left but I would say this: In what previous year would Southern Illinois have been assigned a four seed and Butler a five? Historically, teams from the Missouri Valley and Horizon have been seeded much higher, maybe even double figures.

Sweet 16 observations:

Florida: The Gators have looked great only for brief moments. Heck, even Jackson State bothered them for a while. Purdue gave them fits. (Quick aside: What a great coaching job by Matt Painter at Purdue. The Boilers are a true hard-hat team, small and slow but they get the job done). Florida is lucky Butler is the next opponent, the Gators should be able to beat the Bulldogs without playing their best.

Butler: Smart and well-coached but the Bulldogs have played to their limitations. This is the end of the line.

Oregon: The Ducks barely got past Miami of Ohio in the first game, then crushed Winthrop. I didn't see the game but based on how Winthrop played against Notre Dame, that's an impressive winning score for Oregon. The Ducks could give Florida trouble in the region final. But first they've got to get by ...

UNLV: The Rebels didn't play great in the first round and survived against Georgia Tech. In a much better effort, they upset Wisconsin. The Rebels need Kevin Kruger to shoot well and he's been in a slump. Rebels forward Wendell White has been really impressive. Wisconsin looked like a Final Four team a month ago but probably peaked too soon.

Kansas: The Jayhawks are playing the best of anyone and are legit favorites. They methodically disposed of a tough Kentucky team yesterday. Brandon Rush's shot is a beautiful thing to watch.

Southern Illinois: The Salukis looked rough beating Holy Cross but played better against Virginia Tech. They are one of the best defensive teams in the country, which gives them a chance, but I don't think they can score enough points to beat Kansas. How the game is officiated will be important. The Salukis are looking for a ref that lets them play.

Pittsburgh: The Panthers have looked OK but not like Final Four material. They need to turn it on against UCLA. They have the potential but, like Wisconsin, they have the look of a team that's already peaked.

UCLA: It wasn't a vintage weekend for UCLA but defense was the difference. The Bruins are going to need to play better offense to get past Pitt and Kansas.

North Carolina: The Tar Heels have overcome their NCAA inexperience and were tough-minded in getting past Michigan State. I expect them to beat Southern Cal and then have a very interesting matchup vs. Georgetown.

Southern Cal: The Trojans have flown under my radar screen. I didn't see any of their games over the weekend but that was an impressive final score against Texas. Tim Floyd has done a remarkable job. Most of this team returns next season and will be joined by guard O.J. Mayo, regarded by many as one of the top five high school players in the country.

Vanderbilt: Derrick Byars, the Commodores' 6-foot-7-inch forward, was the SEC player of the year. He proved he's more than an answer to a good trivia question with his effort against Washington State. Byars started his career at Virginia and left when a coaching change was made. Based on the Commodores' performance in the first two rounds, they have a shot against Georgetown but they'll have to win the game from behind the arc.

Georgetown: The Hoyas really took charge against BC in the second half and they'll need more of the same vs. Vandy. The big guys need to push Vanderbilt around.

Ohio State: The Buckeyes showed their vulnerability, they should have lost to Xavier. They should consider themselves lucky. They are not playing like a Final Four team right now.

Tennessee: The Volunteers are playing like they're going to crash the Final Four. Most people won't agree but that victory over Long Beach State in the first round was tremendous. Then the Vols proved to be the better team against Virginia, which didn't really deserve a four seed.

Texas A&M: The victory over Louisville was typical for the Aggies, defense and mental toughness were the difference. Not many teams are able to dictate pace against a Rick Pitino team.

Memphis: The injury to Chris Douglas-Roberts is crucial. If he doesn't play, Memphis will have its hands full. The Tigers have good depth but Douglas-Roberts is still their best offensive player.