Eight teams that look like Final Four sleepers

There's no disputing 2015-16 as one of the most bizarre college basketball seasons in recent memory. The nation's top two teams, North Carolina and Oklahoma, both lost on Saturday to middle-of-the-pack teams in their respective conferences. Any other season, that would be stunning. This season, it's becoming normal.

Trying to find a national title contender in a season with loads of top-five upsets and continuous turnover near the top — in both polls and bracketology — is darn near impossible. This parity leads us to believe a top seed in the Big Dance won't necessarily foster a trip to the Final Four. It's never a free ticket, but this could certainly be a year of surprising teams in April. So, to celebrate a wild season that's only getting wilder, let's take a look at some teams you wouldn't expect to land in Houston.

1. Notre Dame (16-7, 7-4): The Irish lost to Monmouth and Alabama in November. They're a much better team in February, as Saturday's 80-76 upset victory against North Carolina indicates. The ACC could send as many as 10 teams to the NCAA tournament. But they haven't seemed as dominant as Big 12 or Big Ten teams. The Irish have the explosive offense to go on an unexpected run. That starts with underrated point guard Demetrius Jackson. He's complemented by veteran Zach Auguste and up-and-comer Bonzie Colson.

2. Virginia (19-4, 8-3): The two-time defending ACC champs lost their swagger in a January stretch that saw them lose three of four. And while this version of Virginia doesn't look nearly as dominant as previous seasons, it very well could go deeper in the NCAA tournament this year. All the pieces are in place for a Final Four run, yet it still could be unexpected to see coach Tony Bennett and Co. there. The Cavaliers' latest win came on the road at Pittsburgh. That's six in a row, and with Louisville ineligible for the postseason and North Carolina shaken up, Virginia has crept up to become perhaps the best team in the ACC ... for now.

3. West Virginia (19-4, 8-2): Here's another one that shouldn't really count as surprising, but nonetheless the Mountaineers, all by themselves atop the Big 12 standings thanks to a shellacking of Baylor, are making the cut. Kansas and Oklahoma have traded time atop polls and been No. 1 seeds on bracketology boards. But regardless of NCAA tournament seeding, West Virginia has a chance to go far with its full-court pressure defense. Jaysean Paige and Devin Williams spearhead the underestimated offense.

4. Texas (16-7, 7-3): Another scary good Big 12 team that's flown a bit under the radar, the Longhorns have beaten Baylor and West Virginia on the road. They also beat North Carolina during non-conference play. It wasn't a pretty start in Shaka Smart's debut season, but Texas is hitting its groove in February. The Longhorns are in a three-way tie for second place in the Big 12. "This team is hungry," point guard Isaiah Taylor said following a 10-point win against Texas Tech on Saturday.

5. Oregon (19-4, 8-2 Pac-12): The Ducks, who play in a pivotal showdown against Utah on Sunday, have climbed atop the Pac-12 standings. Oregon keeps racking up top-50 victories and is No. 3 in the Ratings Percentage Index, which means the Ducks likely will be seeded high come Selection Sunday. Oregon has been deceptively good all season and has the look of a team that gets picked for an early-round upset ... before rolling all the way to the Final Four.

6. Kentucky: Kentucky? The same team that lost at Tennessee last week and fell to Auburn in early January? Yes, that team. It's also a surging Wildcats team that forced a really good Kansas team to overtime in a narrow loss at Allen Fieldhouse. It's also the team demolished red-hot Florida by 19 points on Saturday thanks to 35 points from freshman Jamal Murray. Coach John Calipari's youthful teams often need time to mature and jell. They're getting there. And the ceiling is pretty high, regardless of credentials.

7. Dayton: Some of the best players from 2014's surprising Elite Eight run are still on this roster, such as Dyshawn Piere and Scoochie Smith. They are two reasons Archie Miller's got a dangerous squad. The Flyers are heating up. Their 34-point rout of George Mason on the road Saturday shows this team's strength among A-10 foes. And Dayton also has a nice win against Iowa in November.

8. Wichita State (17-6, 11-1): The Shockers are near perfect in Missouri Valley play (a loss at Illinois State on Saturday snapped a 12-game win streak). Regardless, coach Gregg Marshall's group has dug itself out of a huge hole that derived from All-American point guard Fred VanVleet missing time with an injury. VanVleet and fellow All-American guard Ron Baker are steering another team poised to do some damage in March. Why doubt the Shockers? The past three seasons have included a Final Four run, one-loss season and a Sweet 16 finish. Don't expect 2016's tournament to be much different.

Maryland looks really good right now 

The scary part about Maryland's 72-61 victory against Purdue? The Terrapins weren't at their best. The offense certainly wasn't that spectacular. The defense, though, was.

"We keep figuring out ways to win," coach Mark Turgeon said after the victory. "Defense, rebounding, executing late, getting to the foul line."

Maryland isn't going out and dominating opponents. And its NCAA tournament profile is lacking the flare to garner a No. 1 seed. But there's no mistaking the fact that this team is playing like a national title contender. Great teams find ways to win. And that's what this team is about.

Offensively, as much credit as All-American Melo Trimble point guard gets, the key catalysts for the Terps were Robert Carter (19 points) and Duke transfer Rasheed Sulaimon (21 points, 10 rebounds). Maryland has the most complete starting lineup in the country. This game, it was Carter and Sulaimon. Other games it's Trimble or freshman phenom Diamond Stone or NBA prospect Jake Layman. When a team can win with its defense and there are five guys on the floor completely capable of taking over, well, you're talking about a team that will tough to beat. In February and in March.

And the résumé stain of the night goes to ... Indiana

Right when it seemed as though the Hoosiers were going to shut up all the naysayers who believe the team's NCAA résumé is weak, they prove all the doubters right by losing at Big Ten bottom feeder Penn State.

Indiana was atop the league standings and had just impressively dismantled Michigan on the road. An easy win against the Nittany Lions would have set up a great clash against Iowa next week that would give the Hoosiers the chance to bolster a profile still lacking a notable win. That momentum feels gone now after the setback.

Oklahoma hurts top seed chances with loss

There are times when it feels like Oklahoma is too good not to make the Final Four — making three-pointer after three-pointer and riding the fantastic play of Player of the Year front-runner Buddy Hield. And then there are times like Saturday when it feels like this Sooners squad could legitimately lose early in the NCAA tournament. An 80-69 upset by Kansas State was a product of a hungry team on its home floor and arguably the nation's top team going cold — finishing 25% from beyond the arc on the night.

If the NCAA championship were a playoff with a set of best-of-seven series, it would be difficult to rule Oklahoma out as the title favorite. But considering the Big Dance has one game, win-or-go-home stakes, Saturday's showing highlighted OU's over-reliance on 3-pointers. Sure, it was an off game for a team that doesn't have too many off games. But when folks are filling out their brackets in March, it's certainly reason to be a little skeptical.

OTHER NOTEWORTHY SCORES

► No. 4 Villanova defeated No. 11 Providence 72-60.

► No. 5 Xavier defeated Marquette, 90-82.

► No. 6 Kansas defeated TCU, 75-56.

► No. 23 South Carolina defeated No. 8 Texas A&M, 81-78.

► No. 10 Michigan State defeated Michigan 89-73.

► No. 14 Iowa State defeated Oklahoma State 64-59.

► No. 18 Louisville defeated Boston College, 79-47.

► Duke defeated N.C. State 88-80.

► George Washington defeated VCU, 72-69.

AND-1 

Nebraska's best player, Shavon Shields, had a scary fall after biting on a pump-fake during Saturday's game against Rutgers. He was carted off the court and taken to a nearby hospital. A press release from the school said Shields was discharged from the hospital following a negative CT scan.

Coach Tim Miles said in a statement: “We are relieved and thankful Shavon has been released, and that his injuries aren’t more serious. We will follow the proper protocol to get him back to full speed. I know Shavon and his family are grateful for everyone’s thoughts and prayers.”

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