August18,2006

Does the national champ lurk in these 10?By Andy Katz
ESPN.com


We took a quick peek in April and another in June. Now, as we continue through Summer Sessions, it's time to take our annual late-summer look at who we think will be the elite teams in the 2006-07 season.


Below, we present 10 teams we expect to compete for places in the Final Four:

10. Ohio State
What we like: Well, let's see. They only added the best center to come to the college game in years in Greg Oden and an overall top-three recruiting class. They also have some starters back from a Big Ten title team.

What concerns us: Experience. The Buckeyes won't have much of it in the starting lineup or off the bench.

Power-rating push: Playing North Carolina on the road in November will be a significant barometer for this crew.



9. Texas A&M
What we like: Billy Gillispie. Acie Law. Joseph Jones. The rest of the crew also returns, save Chris Walker. The Aggies were a shot away from moving onto the Sweet 16 a year ago.

What concerns us: Aggies still need to score a bit more this season to avoid low-scoring affairs of the type that nipped them at times last season. There is enough talent to put the ball in the hole.

Power-rating push: Hey, guess what! Gillispie is actually playing folks like LSU on the road and UCLA in Anaheim.



8. Wisconsin
What we like: Everyone is back that matters for this squad, like potential Big Ten player of the year Alando Tucker, point Kammron Taylor and consummate role players like Brian Butch. Bo Ryan always maximizes his talent.

What concerns us: The bench will be a bit inexperienced and finding reliable scorers outside of Tucker on a game-by-game basis could be an issue.

Power-rating push: The Badgers go to Marquette and play host to Pitt. That's plenty.



7. Georgetown
What we like: Roy Hibbert has slimmed down to be an imposing center. Jeff Green is the most versatile and maybe most coveted player in the Big East. John Thompson III's system is a winner.

What concerns us: Point guard won't be the most experienced position and a reliance on youth off the bench.

Power-rating push: Games against Oregon, Duke and Vanderbilt should suffice.



6. Arizona
What we like: Folks at Arizona say Chase Budinger may be one of the best freshmen ever to play at the school. Marcus Williams could be the Pac-10 player of the year. Mustafa Shakur will settle down at the point.

What concerns us: We wonder a bit about Arizona's post scoring.

Power-rating push: Coach Lute Olson doesn't shy away from anyone. The Cats are playing Memphis, at Virginia, against Illinois in Phoenix, versus Louisville in New York. They also face North Carolina in Tucson during the Pac-10 season.



5. LSU
What we like: Glen Davis looked like a slimmed-down Corliss Williamson at the Nike Camp in Indianapolis. He finally looked comfortable in his own skin around the basket after dropping 20-plus pounds. The Tigers lost Tyrus Thomas and Darrel Mitchell off the Final Four team, but the rest of the crew is back.

What concerns us: Mitchell was a clutch shooter last season. He was also a solid leader at the point. Not sure if Tack Minor can do that for the Tigers, but he must for them not to slip.

Power-rating push: Coach John Brady didn't get the necessary pub for playing a tough slate last season. This season, he gets UConn back at home, against Witchita State, Texas A&M in Houston, and is going out to Washington and Oregon State.



4. Pitt
What we like: We've heard from quite a few that this is too high for the Panthers. Well, they did get back a monster in the middle in Aaron Gray. He should be immovable at times in the post. The big secret, though, is in the rest of this squad. Big East coaches love Levon Kendall and Sam Young, two players that don't get a ton of rep.

What concerns us: The heat will be on the perimeter to replace Carl Krauser's toughness and moxie. That means Ronald Ramon must be more verbal to ensure the Panthers meet these expectations.

Power-rating push: Coach Jamie Dixon didn't shy away from big-time games this season, with a trip to Wisconsin, a game with Washington and potential pests UMass and Florida State on the slate.



3. North Carolina
What we like: They have the best low-post power player in college in Tyler Hansbrough and they added arguably one of the top two recruiting classes in the country.

What concerns us: The returnees say they won't have an issue being in a competitive environment with big-time newcomers like Tywon Lawson, Wayne Ellington and Brandan Wright. We'll see.

Power rating push: The Tar Heels play Ohio State in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge and are in the NIT Season Tip-Off where they could take on Gonzaga, Indiana or Tennessee. The Tar Heels never shy away from top games and this season is no exception.



2. Kansas
What we like: The starting five returns and the Jayhawks once again picked up the best remaining player the class of 2006 in Darrel Arthur. He along with Brandon Rush, Mario Chalmers, Julian Wright, C.J. Giles, Russell Robinson and Sasha Kaun make up one of the most talented rosters in the country.

What concerns us: Just have to make sure the Jayhawks don't become like UConn last year, when it was hard at times to find a rotation with so much talent.

Power-rating push: Kansas plays Florida and Boston College, two games that show (as always) that this team isn't running from anyone.



1. Florida
What we like: The defending national champs return their entire starting lineup. The Gators might have the top forwards in the country in Joakim Noah and Al Horford, one of the more versatile wings in Corey Brewer and an underrated lead guard in Taurean Green.

What concerns us: Florida will be hunted from Day One. How the Gators handle the pressure will determine how far this team advances.

Power-rating push: Florida will face Ohio State at home in late December. The Gators already had determined they were going to play Kansas in Las Vegas before winning the national title. Now this game looks like a potential Final Four preview over Thanksgiving weekend.



Andy Katz is a senior writer for ESPN.com.