Big Dance: Midwest is the Rivalry Bracket

It goes without saying that Kentucky casts a large shadow over the NCAA tourney's Midwest quadrant.

Hell, it looms over the entire Dance.

But four teams have a bit of local business on their respective front burners.

Wichita State finally getting a crack at Kansas is a national sidebar. Just as significant, though, is Butler and Notre Dame in a rare clash of the two top Indiana programs.

The Irish and Bulldogs don't necessarily duck each other. They're part of the Crossroads Classic, a non-con extravaganze each December that includes Indiana and Purdue. Those two meet in Big Ten play, of course, so Notre Dame and Butler shift back and forth as their opposition. And that means they don't pair up.

But they do today.

Then, on Sunday, it's the one-way dream. The Shockers can't wait. The Jayhawks can't avoid it.

That's not a chip on Wichita State's shoulder. That's a two-by-four. And while most beg to differ, their quest to use it might take the chalk out of Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk.

Years of feeling dissed might show up as Shocker adrenalin in this one. On second thought, it'll be news if it doesn't.