Nashville

When No. 2 Missouri and No. 2 Duke lost in the N.C.A.A. tournament on Friday, the predictable themes of parity in college basketball reappeared. They disappeared as quickly over the weekend, however, as only two teams from outside the six power conferences advanced to the Round of 16. That is the fewest since 2003, meaning that the darlings have mostly left the field to the sport’s boldest brand names.

All four No. 1 seeds advanced and just three teams with double-digit seeds survived the opening weekend. The field has evolved to the point where it would be surprising if Kentucky did not win the national title. With key players dropping for other contenders and the Wildcats bulldozing opponents at full throttle, the Final Four in New Orleans is shaping up to be a Wildcat coronation.

“If they make jump shots, no one beats them,” said the Iowa State associate head coach T. J. Otzelberger. “That’s the bottom line.”

The two teams that were considered the most vexing foils for the Wildcats, Syracuse and North Carolina, are handicapped for the rest of the tournament.