Championship Contenders:

Generally, three of the teams that end up in the Final Four had a reasonable shot of getting there at the start of the tournament. The fourth team will be the upstart mid-major school vying to recreate the plot of Hoosiers. Anything can happen in March, but as the NCAA college basketball season tips off, there are only a handful of teams that appear ready to compete for the championship. Defending-champion Duke tops the preseason polls, as Coach K’s squad returns veterans Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith while welcoming impact guards Kyrie Irving and Seth Curry. Michigan State’s Kalin Lucas will need to score the ball at a higher rate this season, but his team definitely has a chance to go all the way. Kansas State is well-coached and has an exceptional floor leader in senior Jacob Pullen, but lacks size in the post. Pittsburgh is the last team that could be considered a front-runner to win the championship; the Panthers will be well-seasoned coming out of a very difficult conference, and the team is very solid-if not spectacular-at every position on the floor.

Expect a Deep Run:

This is the year Gonzaga could finally crack the Elite Eight and make it to the Final Four. The Zags have a future lottery pick in sophomore Elias Harris, a solid shooter in Steven Gray, an intimidating post-presence in Canadian Robert Sacre, and should top the basketball standings in the WCC. Speaking of great post players, incoming freshman Jared Sullinger headlines an Ohio State squad that could surprise many and make a Final Four push in March. After a miserable campaign last year, look for North Carolina to bounce back in a big way, with freshman preseason All-American Harrison Barnes leading the way. Kentucky’s tournament fate will rely primarily on the eligibility of Turkish big man Enes Kanter, whose status is currently in limbo. If Kanter does indeed play for John Calipari this season, he’ll team with point guard Brandon Knight to form the best freshman tandem in America.

Possible Cinderellas:

Brigham Young returns Jimmer Fredette, the electrifying combo guard who put up great numbers in the tournament last year, and the Cougars could easily dance their way to the later rounds. Morehead State is another team that is on the rise, and boasts one of the best-kept secrets in the country: senior big man Kenneth Faried, who could go in the first round of the 2011 NBA Draft. The Pac-10 had an awful year as a conference last season, but expect at least one team-most likely Lorenzo Romar’s Washington Huskies-to peak in March and put together some impressive basketball scores. Lastly, while everyone is searching for the Next Butler, the current Bulldogs are ready to fight, and could provide a fitting encore to last season’s dramatic run to the cusp of NCAA glory.

The biggest news in college hoops outside of Final Four betting has been an attempted return to glory by the University of Kentucky, who missed the NCAA tournament for the first time in 19 years this year, then got bounced from the NIT in the quarterfinals. Off came the head of Billy Gillespie after only two years, and in comes a coach that transformed a mid-major into a perennial Final Four betting contender.

John Calipari was given an 8-year, $31.7 million contract to take the programs with the most wins in NCAA history to the promised land, and he’s built a great reputation for himself. Back in 1998, UMass went 10-18 in Calipari’s first season, but by season two, they were in the NIT. Following another NIT appearance, UMass went to the NCAAs five straight years, capped by an appearance in the Final Four by a Marcus Camby-led squad. Then after a few years in the NBA, Calipari returned to take Memphis to the NITs in 2000, and they won a year later. Calipari ended his Memphis career with four straight invitations to the “Big Dance”, including a heart-breaking overtime loss in last year’s final, and that team won an NCAA-record 38 games. In fact, the last four years of Calipari’s reign saw the program win the most games in that time period for any NCAA team, but his loss should see the Tigers’ Final Four odds drop next year.

Now, does this mean an NCAA title will come to Kentucky? No…..well, not right away. Calipari’s never coached a “big” program, but his recruiting skills are lauded as some of the best in the nation. He could even persuade Jodie Meeks, a second-team All-American, and Patrick Patterson to come back, which would be a great foundation. Guaranteed, Kentucky’s Final Four odds for next year have gotten a giant boost from gaining Calipari. We know Ashley Judd will be ecstatic.