The North Carolina Tar Heels put the finishing touches on the 2005 season by beating the Fighting Illini of Illinois 75-70 in the NCAA Championship in early April, a great game all-around and a fitting end to a great tournament.  The man in the middle, Sean May, proved to be too much for the Illini to handle.  The smart money was on the Tar Heels from the very start, and they simply did what they were supposed to do--win.  It had been a long time coming for North Carolina Head Coach, Roy Williams; I respect him as a basketball coach and as a man.  I only wish he had won his first title in Lawrence instead of Chapel Hill.

2.) Duke--Coach K and the Blue Devils will only be losing one key player for next season, Daniel Ewing.  But, they should be able to press on thanks to a great incoming class of freshmen and the return of their two top guns, center Sheldon Williams and guard J.J. Redick.  Look for Freshman Greg Paulus to get some significant minutes at the point guard position for the Blue Devils.  Anyone who saw Duke play Michigan State in the tournament earlier this year knows that ball-handling may be an issue.

3.) Michigan State--I recognize that the Spartans lose a lot with the departure of Seniors Alan Andersen and Kelvin Torbert, but Coach Izzo still has a tremendous crop of talent at his disposal.  His top three players, Senior Maurice Ager, Junior Shannon Brown and Senior Paul Davis have all returned with the hopes of making another final four run.  Drew Neitzel will be back to play the point with a year of experience under his belt.  The freakishly athletic Marquis Gray will officially be a Spartan after his redshirt freshman season--the kid is a monster on defense.  Also, look for State's resident Quebecois, Maurice Joseph, to get some serious minutes at either guard spot.  The Spartans should conquer the Big Ten in 2006 and make another run at the Final Four.

4.) Kentucky--This year's Wildcats will be amazingly deep once again.  They lose only one starter, Chuck Hayes, and should reap the benefits of an experienced point guard in Rajon Rondo.  With the departure of Kelenna Azubuike to the NBA, freshman shooting guard Joe Crawford should see a lot of minutes; Kentucky fans will finally be able to see what all the fuss was about.

5.) Villanova--This team has a solid nucleus of players returning including arguably their best player, Kurtis Sumpter, who can play both the wing and the power forward positions.  In addition to Sumpter, the Wildcats have a stable of guards who can score from all points on the floor.  Coach Wright has all the tools to make another nice run deep into the tournament.

6.) Oklahoma--This might not be a popular pick, especially considering the Sooners unceremonious departure from this year's tournament, but hear me out.  The Sooners return almost everyone, losing only Senior Forward Johnnie Gilbert.  Seeing significant minutes for Coach Sampson this season will be frontcourt mates Taj Gray and Kevin Bookout, along with guards Terell Everett and David Godbold.  The Sooners should not be adversely affected by the departure of Andrew Lavender.  In other words, if you ever had a year, Coach Sampson, this is the one.

7.) Louisville--Despite losing his best player, Francisco Garcia to the NBA, Coach Pitino has some solid talent coming back, including Guard Taquan Dean and Forward Brian Johnson.  It could also be a breakout year for sophomore guard and Detroit-native Brandon Jenkins.  Coach Pitino also has an abundance of size at his disposal, including freshman seven-footer Terrance Farley.  Cardinal fans have much to look forward to.

8.) Texas—Coach Barnes returns his top four players from last year’s squad, including his best, junior small-forward P.J. Tucker.  Tucker sat out much of last season because of his ailing academics.  Sophomore point guard Daniel Gibson is talented enough with the ball to create opportunities for his mates in the post.  Senior Forward Brad Buckman gives the Longhorns the leadership and toughness a team with championship aspirations must have.  Once again, Rick Barnes has an awful lot of talent; but, Texas will not get the benefit of the doubt from me until they achieve commensurately.

9.) Wake Forest--Coach Prosser lost his best player, sophomore point guard Chris Paul to the NBA—but all is not lost.  The Demon Deacons return Paul's backcourt mate, Justin Gray, for another season and his Center, Eric Williams.  I look for Gray to have a breakout season and for the Deacons to be a force in the ACC.  Wake Forest does, however, need to get better on defense to be able to keep up with Duke.

Coach of the Year:  Kelvin Sampson, Oklahoma

Player of the Year:  Marcus Williams, UConn

Most Improved Player:  Rajon Rondo, Kentucky

Best Newcomer:  (Tie) Luke Zeller, Notre Dame, Marquis Gray (RS), Michigan State and Eric Devendorf, Syracuse

Biggest underachiever (team):  Texas

Biggest underachiever (player):  Paul Davis, Michigan State

Biggest Surprise (team):  North Carolina (post-mutiny)

Biggest Surprise (player): Malik Hairston, Oregon

PG: Marcus Williams, UConn

SG: J.J. Redick, Duke

G/F: Maurice Ager, Michigan State

PF: Taj Gray, Oklahoma