College basketball upset alert: Why Kentucky and Lousiville need to be careful in Week 12

There may not be more parity in any sport right now than college basketball, where it seems like anyone can beat anyone on a given night. 19 ranked teams suffered at least one lost last week, including some huge upsets like No. 2 Iowa State's downfall at West Virginia (which we accurately predicted in this space last week) and No. 6 Tennessee falling at Vanderbilt.

The chaos didn't do a ton to shake up the AP Top 25, but it just goes to show that college hoops fans are in for a wild ride between now and Selection Sunday. Which teams are in the most danger of being upset this week? Read on to find out, beginning on Tuesday night with a team back in the polls for the first time in a while.

Which college basketball teams should be on upset alert in Week 12?

No. 25 Louisville

It has been a long road back to respectability for Louisville, which fell into dumpster fire territory during the disastrous Kenny Payne era, but new head coach Mark Byington has brought some needed stability to a proud program. A 14-5 start, combined with a 7-1 mark in ACC play, has put the Cardinals back into the AP Top 25 for the first time in four years as a potential return to the NCAA Tournament is clearly in their sights.

While a relatively down ACC doesn't produce too many potential pitfalls for Louisville, Tuesday's trip to SMU is fraught with peril. The Mustangs are squarely on the bubble and have squandered a few opportunities to snag a marquee win for their resume, making Tuesday's date with the Cardinals an essential must-win for their tournament hopes.

Playing with a number in front of your name also brings a lot of pressure that Louisville's players aren't used to at this point. Being ranked makes you a target for every arena you visit and the Cardinals will have to navigate that pressure if they hope to leave SMU with their eighth ACC victory.

No. 9 Kentucky

The Wildcats are no stranger to potential upsets as they were already picked off at Georgia following a hugely emotional win over Florida earlier in conference play. The SEC is an absolute beast capable of sending double-digit teams to the NCAA Tournament, so there are precious few opportunities to score an easy win in league play.

There will be a week between Kentucky's tight loss to No. 4 Alabama and their trip to Vanderbilt on Saturday, so there is a chance of a bit of rust forming as the Wildcats get out of their bi-weekly routine. The Commodores are also on the way up and are trying to secure the wins necessary to return to the NCAA Tournament, including a home upset over No. 6 Tennessee last Saturday.

Defense has also been an issue for Kentucky, which has surrendered at least 90 points in all three of their SEC losses. If the Wildcats can't tidy things up on that end of the floor they could be the latest Vanderbilt upset victim.

No. 19 UConn

No program has become the envy of college basketball fans over the past few years than UCONN, which has built a sustained contender that can win at a high level in March. Winning back-to-back national championships has put a big target on UCONN, which has had plenty of contributors from the title teams head to the pros, and the talent drain has started to put a dent into their chances of pursuing further history.

There are points this season that the Huskies have just looked off, including a disastrous 0-for-3 effort at the Maui Invitational and a pair of Big East losses at Villanova and at home against Creighton. Saturday's trip to Cincinnati to take on a desperate Xavier side is fraught with peril for UCONN, which only beat the Musketeers by five in Hartford back in mid-December.

Xavier is more talented than its record would indicate and is building some confidence as evidenced by a key win at Marquette last Saturday. Adding a victory over the Huskies would give the X-men a significant resume boost ahead of March so UCONN will need to play its best basketball to avoid leaving the Cintas Center with another Big East defeat.