2013-14 College Basketball Picks and Predictions: National Championship Favorites

2013-14 College Basketball Picks and Predictions: National Championship Favorites: The 2013-14 college basketball season is now underway, and while the season will be filled with out-of-conference clashes and heated conference clashes, the long-term goal for every team is to be a part of the NCAA Tournament and to have a shot and cutting down the nets and winning the national title. While the one-and-done format of March Madness is an excellent equalizer, there are some teams better equipped to make a run at a championship. Last year, it was the Louisville Cardinals grabbing the No. 1 overall seed in field of 68 and parlaying it into a championship run. With that in mind, here is a closer look at the teams that appear to have the pieces in place to make run at the 2014 men’s college basketball title.

1.      Kentucky Wildcats

After winning the title two years ago with a group of star-studded freshmen, Kentucky’s group of five-star recruits underperformed and missed the NCAA Tournament completely last year. Well, John Calipari has once again landed the top recruiting that included the top prospect at four of the five positions, and there are a couple of reasons why this year’s group is primed to be more like the title-winning team from 2011-12 than the disappointing team from one year ago. For one, freshman point guard Andrew Wiggins will give the Wildcats the floor general they lacked all of last year. Meanwhile, power forward Julius Randle gives them a consistent inside scoring presence with a true back-to-the-basket game. By the way, center Willie Cauley-Stein and forward Alex Poythress stuck around to make amends for last year’s debacle. Kentucky has a disturbing amount of talent on its roster this season.

2.      Duke Blue Devils

Plain and simple, the Blue Devils have a chance to have a special season in 2013-14. Duke will have experience in the backcourt with guards Quinn Cook and Andrew Dawkins while former five-star recruit Rasheed Sulaimon will have a chance to take on an even bigger role after an impressive freshman campaign. Meanwhile, the frontcourt will welcome super-prospect Jabari Parker, who is being tabbed as the most polished freshman scorer since Kevin Durant. The addition of transfer Rodney Hood to the frontcourt won’t hurt the cause either. Duke will be a little undersized, but with the all the firepower on the offensive end, the team’s motion-based offense should thrive.

3.      Michigan State Spartans

Tom Izzo demands that his team rebound and play defense, and as a result, the Spartans are usually a solid team regardless of the overall talent level. However, this year’s group has All-American talent in the paint with center Adreian Payne and on the perimeter with shooting guard Gary Harris. Michigan State also has senior Keith Appling to run the show at point guard, and forward Branden Dawson to provide additional scoring punch. If Harris can stay healthy this year and score like the future NBA lottery pick many expect him to be, the Spartans will be as balanced as they have been in years.

4.      Louisville Cardinals

While the defending champs will certainly miss the play-making ability of Peyton Siva at point and the defensive presence of Gorgui Dieng inside, last year’s leading scorer and Final Four Most Oustanding Player Russ Smith is back. Meanwhile, former highly-touted recruits Wayne Blackshear and Montrezl Harrell will get a chance to show their stuff in expanded roles. Rick Pitino’s teams never get outhustled, and as long as suspended forward Chane Behanan returns at some point to provide some experience inside, the Cardinals should have something to say when it comes time to defend their title.

5.      Arizona Wildcats

The Wildcats won 27 games last year and made it to the Sweet 16, and plenty of important pieces are back. Arizona returns the frontcourt tandem of Kaleb Tarczewski and Brandon Ashley, and the two should only be better with a year of experience under their belts. Point guard Nick Johnson is also back, and in addition to providing leadership, he has shown a knack for making tough shots in big games. The X-factor for the Wildcats will be highly-touted recruits Aaron Gordon and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. Both players will add depth and scoring to the frontcourt, and Gordon has the type of rare athleticism that has him pegged as a future NBA lottery pick. As long as Johnson stays healthy to run the show, the Wildcats have the weapons to make a title run.

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