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

2013-14 College Basketball Picks and Predictions: National Championship Favorites: The 2013-14 college basketball season is in its early stages, and before conference play begins and teams begin to think about the NCAA Tournament, there is always an early feeling out process. Yes, there are a few big games, but for the most part, many of the big schools ease themselves into things with a manageable out-of-conference schedule. While the action on the court will ultimately determine which teams are truly contenders, a few teams do stand out as the clear favorites for the national title. After the short list of frontrunners, there are several teams that are waiting in the wings with plenty of talent to make a title run if one or two things fall into place. With that in mind, here is a closer look at a few sleeper teams that could emerge as true national title threats when all is said and done.

Point guard play could be an issue, but the Kansas Jayhawks landed an otherwise-loaded recruiting class that included No. 1 prospect Andrew Wiggins and a plenty of additional offensive weapons. While Wiggins potential is so limitless that he has NBA franchises throwing away the season, freshmen guards Wayne Selden and Brannen Greene can light it up from the perimeter. Meanwhile, freshmen center Joel Embiid should be an elite defender immediately, and he should team with sophomore big man Perry Ellis to form a formidable frontcourt. Kansas has a plethora of young talent, and if Wiggins is the real deal, the Jayhawks’ title hopes are very real, as well.

Although they lost three quality scorers from last year’s team, the Syracuse Orange still have the pieces in place to make some noise in 2013-14. After all, leading-scorer C.J. Fair returns, and he is one of the best two-way players in the country. Perhaps more importantly, Rakeem Christmas, DaJuan Coleman and Baye Moussa Keita are all back in the frontcourt, giving the Orange a trio of long, defensive-minded big men to anchor the always-stingy Syracuse 2-3 zone. If highly-touted freshman point guard Tyler Ennis can hit the ground running and shoulder some of the scoring load, a championship-caliber defense could do the rest.

When point guard Marcus Smart opted to return for his sophomore season, the Oklahoma State Cowboys became an instant title contender. Smart is Wooden Award candidate, and the hard-nosed guard stuffs the stat sheet and gets into the lane on a routine basis. More importantly, he is just one of four double-digit scorers returning, and while forward Le’Bryan Nash will handle the frontcourt scoring, Markel Brown and Phil Forte will join Smart on the perimeter to give Oklahoma State one of the best backcourts in the country. Granted, the Cowboys could use a little more muscle inside, but with an X-factor like Smart and an experienced starting lineup, they certainly have a chance to win a title.

A go-to perimeter scorer will need to emerge, but the Florida Gators have just about everything else it takes to win a national title this season. Forward Patric Young can be an absolute beast on the block, and he will head a stout frontcourt. Fellow forward Will Yeguete returns from injury while transfer Damontre Harris gives the Gators a true shot-blocking center. In the backcourt, point guard Scottie Wilbekin is a defensive best and reliable distributor, and highly-touted freshmen Kasey Hill has the offensive tools to be the missing piece to the puzzle.

Fresh off a surprising NCAA Tournament run last year, the Oregon Ducks could make even more noise this season. After all, they welcome back skilled perimeter scorer Damyean Dotson and dynamic point guard Dominic Artis, who both shined as freshmen a year ago. Meanwhile, graduate transfer Mike Moser will be eligible to play immediately, giving the Ducks a nightly double-double threat and an interior scoring presence that they lacked last year. As long as Oregon’s young players take a step forward and not the other way around, this team will be dangerous.

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