We’ve already been thumping the college basketball tub for Memphis, sitting quietly on the March Madness futures market at 10-1 despite their likely No. 1 preseason ranking. But who else is lurking in the weeds?

How about those other Tigers from Missouri? They’re a team on the rise, from 12-16 (6-16-1 ATS) in 2005 to 18-12 (10-13 ATS) last year. Pretty much everyone is back for another go around, and while a national title is a lot to ask at 100-1, frequent trips to the pay window could be in order.

Out west, the Washington State Cougars are a little bit closer to the Promised Land at 30-1, and they’ve helped assure themselves some anonymity by pulling out of the Great Alaska Shootout. That’ll bite them in the ass come Selection Sunday, but assuming Wazzu doesn’t stumble in remaining non-con games, there should be more money down the road in the Pac-10.

They know what they’re doing at the University of Kansas. Their first basketball coach was Dr. James Naismith, the inventor of the game. Their second coach was Dr. Forrest ”Phog” Allen – the originator of the NCAA men’s basketball Tournament.

The first tourney was held in 1939. It was an eight-team format, with Oregon defeating Ohio State 46-33 to win the championship. The field would double to 16 teams in 1951, then grow bigger and bigger until reaching the familiar bracket of 64 in 1985. The “opening round” game for the 64th spot started in 2001. UCLA holds the record for most titles with 11, all but one coming between 1964 and 1973 under coach John Wooden.

The term “March Madness” itself also dates back to 1939 and an essay of the same name by H. V. Porter. Commentator Brent Musburger is credited with popularizing the term in the 1980s. If he only knew.

There are as many ways to rank the college basketball teams as there are teams. Just about every conventional sports site has its own “power rankings,” none of which holds much water from a handicapping perspective. Here are the three sets of rankings you should pay most attention to.

AP (or ESPN/USA Today): These are the “official” rankings, released every week during the season. They’re purely subjective, but people place so much emphasis on them that the betting market becomes skewed.

RPI: The Ratings Percentage Index is a tool used by the NCAA to rank the teams and help in the selection of which 65 get a crack at March Madness. It’s got its flaws, but RPI is at least objective.

Pomeroy: Basketball stathead Ken Pomeroy is one of the leading lights in college hoops. His Pomeroy Ratings tweak the familiar “pythagorean” calculations to account for how good the opponents are. Use them.