5 Teams Who Could Win NCAA Tournament Title

It's never too early to start talking about NCAA tournament brackets or predictions. In fact, it's kind of become an art to basketball analysts and die-hard fans. The prognostication of who will reach the Final Four doesn't just belong on sports talk radio or in a newspaper column. The reach of this sport goes well beyond that these days. Even amateur fans are anxious to watch the world of basketball well before the selection show to see who they can pick in the office pool. But the 1 million dollar question is always-which teams will advance to the Final Four. Who will win the 2011 NCAA Basketball Championship? I believe I can answer that question within a 5 team radius this season. In fact, I would be shocked if the national champion doesn't come from my list of 5 teams with a legitimate shot to win the 2011 NCAA Basketball title.
With that in mind, here they are.

1) Duke
Everyone talks about how hard it is to repeat. Duke knocked off Butler in a battle for the ages last season. The Blue Devils will be a top seed and will probably have a few gimmes early on once the actual tournament field is set. The Blue Devils have history on their side and one of the greatest coaches the college basketball game has ever seen. Does that mean Duke is a lock? Absolutely not. But a Final Four appearance is likely unless Duke has a key injury between now and March. The Devils might just end up being the overall favorite to win the tournament when the Vegas odds are set in stone. Do they have a legitimate shot to advance past the 2011 Final Four in Houston and win the 2011 NCAA College Basketball title? They will most likely be the most obvious and unanimous choice in the entire tournament field. Joe Lunardi, who does Bracketology for ESPN, has lowered the Duke seeding to #2 on occasion. Let's not kid ourselves. Duke will be a top seed when the season comes to a close-you can count on it.

2) Texas
The Longhorns are absolutely loaded this season. In fact, Texas went in to Kansas and blasted the Jayhawks and their win streak this season. Texas has depth, good coaching and plenty of athleticism. The Longhorns will most likely be a number one seed in the NCAA tournament this season. In fact, Texas could join fellow conference power Kansas as two number one seeds if things stay on course. Is Texas a legitimate threat to win it all? If the Longhorns haven't peaked too early, the sky may be the limit for this rising ball club. Jordan Hamilton is a legitimate NBA talent-but he still has much to prove before this season is over.

3) Ohio State
The Buckeyes appear to be the class of the Big Ten-even if they are young and inexperienced. Ohio State doesn't play like a team loaded with youngsters. In fact, the Buckeyes are one of the best field goal shooting teams in the nation. Jared Sullinger is having a monster year as a freshman and Ohio State has an opportunity to lock up a number one seed well before the Big Ten Tournament ever tips off. I also feel Ohio State could be the first number one seed to lose first--considering their age and inexperience. A tough Big Ten schedule could help prepare OSU for the long haul, though.

4) Kansas
The Jayhawks may have bowed out of the 2010 NCAA Basketball tournament-but this version could have greater things in store. Kansas is always loaded with talent and this year is no different. Kansas, much like Ohio State, is one of the premiere shooting teams in the country. Marcus and Markieff Morris will be a difficult match up for any team that faces this potential #1 seed. If anything may hurt the Jayhawks, it's a lack of playing high caliber teams in the non-conference schedule. Close wins over USC and UCLA may be signs of a team that could struggle against top notch competition in the tournament. But then again, Kansas is on the path of getting a #1 seed where they will face a few easier opponents before an appearance in the Sweet 16.

5) UCONN
Some may argue that Pitt belongs in this spot. I disagree completely. UCONN is a legitimate scoring threat and go to guy-historically teams with such an undeniable talent usually do quite well in the Big Dance. Kemba Walker is the type of player who can absolutely take over a game at any point. Sure, Kemba has struggled in the Big East in terms of shooting percentage. But he still puts up points on a nightly basis. The Huskies not only have a legitimate shot to be a Final Four team, they also have a chance to win the Big East tournament and claim a #1 seed in the 2011 NCAA Basketball tournament. If that happens, look out for any Jim Calhoun coached team.
The telling statistic for UCONN this year is they will hover around the Top 5 mark for team rebounding. Any time a team rebounds the ball as well as the Huskies, they'll always have an opportunity to win in tournament type games.

Who didn't crack the the top five but still has an incredible shot to make some noise as a sleeper?
Notre Dame, Purdue and Vanderbilt are all teams that could surprise other teams in the 2011 NCAA Tournament. All three are loaded with talent that could be a year away--but the cream may rise in 2011.
Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri and North Carolina are all also loaded with athleticism and potential.
But my guess is the national champion will come from the above five teams.