10) Was that pasting Michigan State received at the hands of Hawaii and aberration or an omen?
The Spartans seem to have the talent, depth, inside game, shooting, defense, as well as the coaching, so how exactly did they lose to Hawaii by 22 points? Leg cramps?
9) Who will win Conference USA? Which begs another question, who exactly is left in Conference USA?
Turns out, no one really. Memphis is still there, and they should win by default, assuming of course not everyone trips against Houston or Alabama-Birmingham, who represent the only obstacle to John Calipari's automatic berth to the Big Dance.
8) What happened to Maryland? Didn't they have a powerhouse program not to long ago?
Two consecutive Final Four appearances, including a championship, and they are now relegated as a middle-of-the-pack squad in their own conference.
7) Does Gonzaga finally drop the slipper and become a bona fide contender as opposed to everyone's darling Cinderella?
They are respectable enough, but every year the 'Zags sneak into the top 10, only to consistently be knocked out of the NCAA tournament in the second round. We know they can be stellar in the regular season, but do they have another Elite 8 run in them?
6) Will UCLA ever regain their status as an elite program?
Pete Carroll has proved the only requirement to running a successful program in Southern California is to keep the talent in the state. The Bruins should be able recruit within a three-block square radius and field a competitive squad, so there's no reason they can't retain the Westwood magic and become what Duke currently purports as the norm.
5) Has Kentucky seeded its authority to Louisville as the No. 1 team in the state?
Look closely, Wildcats fans, since Tubby Smith's championship run back in 1998, the Wildcats have not been back to the Final Four. And Rick Pitino's bunch achieved that status last year. It's only a matter of time before Kentucky is relegated to second-class status in the Bluegrass state.
4) There are 16 teams in the Big East? Really? Do they play each other in shifts?
I can hardly wait for that Rutgers/DePaul meeting, that should be something.
3) Does anyone really believe in the Big 12 powers?
Texas and Oklahoma have certainly received plenty of hype, but how far can these teams go without consistent outside shooting? Granted, they'll only be knocking each other off for a while, but come tournament time, it's going to be tough for them to glide past teams with the intent of winning ugly.
2) Can the Huskies get past their summer troubles and make a major run this season?
Jim Calhoun, who's only peer is Mike Krzyzewski, has the coaching ability, and is blessed with the horses. Scoring was the source of trouble in last year's tourney ouster, so can Rudy Gay become the elite player everyone thinks he is capable of?
1) Will Duke win it all this year?
They have the best coach and the best talent in the country, yet this formula has backfired before. The Blue Devils have looked unbeatable before and lost — Richard Hamilton and UConn knocked them off in 1999, Florida beat them in 2000, Indiana in 2002, and Kansas took them down in 2003. Of course, Duke also cut down the nets in 2001, so it's reasonable to assume that we have no idea what to expect of this next great Duke squad, except, of course, a No. 1 ranking in the tournament.
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