Second Half Rout Leads UConn to the National Championship

Posted by CoHoops DeAnte Mitchell

The lady Huskies weren't able to add another National Championship to their already rich history but the men took care of business.

The Connecticut Huskies (32-9, 9-9) capped the season with an 11-game win streak and a National Championship.

"It may be the happiest moment of my life," UConn's head coach Jim Calhoun said after a 53-41 victory over Butler.

Calhoun joins elite company. Calhoun is only the fifth coach to win three NCAA titles joining Bob Knight, Mike Krzyzewski, Adolph Rupp and John Wooden.

"This group has taken me on one of the great special journeys better than any I could possibly imagine," Calhoun said.

Junior guard Kemba Walker chipped in a team high 16 points and was one rebound shy of a double-double.

His contributions were felt on both ends of the floor as he and his Huskie backcourt held Butler's in-check for most of the game.

Walker played a major part in the success but it was ultimately, Jeremy Lamb who stole the show in the second half.

Lamb ended the game with 12 points and seven rebounds on 4-of-8 (50%) shooting from the field. All of his points came in the second half after being on the bench facing foul trouble for most of the first.

"Going into halftime, I didn't have any points," said Lamb. "My teammates just encouraged me saying, we need you."

"Right out of the half, they ran a couple plays for me. I was able to get to the foul line. All I wanted to see was the ball go in the net. After I saw it go in a couple times, I got my confidence back and was able to knock down some shots."

Sophomore Alex Oriahki chipped-in the only double-double in the game with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Oriahki and Charles Okwandu did a magnificent job on Butler's star Matt Howard holding him to 1-of-13 (.07%) from the field, which is the lowest of his career, and seven points.

As a team, UConn wasn't much different.

UConn held Butler to a National Championship low 18 percent from the field and a half-court heave wouldn't even help their cause this time around.

18 percent was the lowest, ever, in any championship game and second lowest of any tournament game.

The Bulldogs scored a championship low 41-points. The lowest since Oklahoma State scored 36 in 1949.

Butler had one player in double-figures, led by Shelvin Mack's 13 points on 4-of-15 (26%) shooting from the field.

"They're a great team, great defensive team," Mack said. "They did a great job of contesting every shot. They just weren't falling today."

The Bulldogs were completely owned on the glass; Huskies had a 51-38 advantage and saw 10 of their shots get sent back.

"I knew they were a great rebounding team. I just boxed out went back to fundamentals," Oriahki said.

"I was able to box out, get a few rebounds here and there. I think that disrupted them because they weren't able to get second shots."

Coming in, most would of thought, if Butler could keep UConn in the 50's this game is won. But, it seemed like the Huskies emphasized defense more than offense because defense is the reason UConn walks away victorious.

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UConn-Butler, National Championship Preview

Posted by CoHoops DeAnte Mitchell

The stage has been set. The Butler Bulldogs have advanced to their second straight NCAA National Championship after defeating the VCU Rams 70-62.

Butler will face, the UConn Huskies, who are coming off a defeat over the Kentucky Wildcats 56-55.

If you would've asked anyone at the beginning of the season, who would be playing in the National Championship game, most would have given you Duke, Kansas, Pitt, or Ohio State; myself included.

But this College Basketball season has been anything but predictable.

Both teams have defied odds. The Bulldogs were No. 16 in the first Associated Press rankings but fell out the very next week after losing to Louisville.

Mid-season, Butler loss to Evansville and Youngstown State, and wasn't even expected to make the NCAA tournament.

But, the team stayed focused and poised to make a run and receive a NCAA tournament bid after winning the Horizon League conference title.

Butler is now riding a 14-game winning streak and playing better than ever, maybe better than last years team that was runner-ups.

The Bulldogs are a very efficient team. They rarely make mistakes, and seem to mature as the game goes along.

Head coach Brad Stevens is a mastermind. He gameplans better than any coach in America. He continues to put his players in the best position to win the game.

Matt Howard has been "Mr. Clutch" throughout the tournament for Butler hitting back-to-back game winners against Old Dominion and Pitt.

Howard has averaged 16.4 points and 7.2 rebounds throughout the tournament and has relished his chance to compete for another championship.

The superstar for Butler, however, has been Shelvin Mack. The 'Mack Attack' has become a popular slogan linked to Mack's game.

Mack has been phenomenal throughout the tournament averaging a team-high 21.8 points per game. Mack's leadership was felt against VCU, turning in his best performance in the NCAA tournament, period.

Mack turned in 24 points and was an efficient 8-of-11 (72%) from the field. He also shot 83 percent from downtown. His experience will certainly be a huge asset to Butler in the title game.

UConn opened the season unranked, with little, to no respect, as a national contender.

The Huskies loss Jerome Dyson and Stanley Robinson, two very good players but seemed to recover very well with a solid recruiting class that featured seven newcomers.

But, more importantly, the Huskies were able to retain their magnificent point guard Kemba Walker.

At times, Walker has been able to put the Huskies on his back and lead UConn to victory.

During the tournament, not much has changed. Walker currently averages 25 points, 6.8 assist, 5.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals during tournament play.

But, it's not just Walker doing it all. Jeremy Lamb, Alex Oriahki, Shabazz Napier and Roscoe Smith have really stepped up and contributed consistently.

Lamb and Napier have proved to be great assets off of Walker in the backcourt. Napier allows Walker to come off the screens, create his own shots and be effective off the ball.

He also is very active on the defensive end. Lamb has become a great second scoring threat outside of Walker. 

His ability to come off the screen and knock down the jump shot has been beneficial for UConn throughout the tournament.

Smith and Oriahki is the huge key to this UConn team. Smith and Oriahki are strong down on the low block and are sure rebounders.

Their ability to rebound, on both ends, gives UConn a huge edge in the tournament. Lets not forget, UConn is amongst the top rebounding teams in the country.

This time last year, Butler was in the finals and UConn was probably somewhere watching at home.

The Bulldogs watched a last second heave by Gordon Hayward fall short at the buzzer and Butler went home empty-handed.

In familiar territory, you have to believe Butler will have the ultimate gameplan to finally cut down the nets.

Coach Stevens said, "We've just got to be one shot better than last year." Butlers defense needs to be magnificent going up against one of the most dominant players in the game in Walker.

Butler identity on defense has always been playing great man-to-man defense. Throughout the tournament, if anyone is going to force Butler to make an adjustment, it's going to be Walker.

Butler's great on-ball defender Ronald Nored has shown in the past he can stick the opposing teams best player. However, Nored hasn't faced a player quite as gifted as Walker.

That will certainly be a matchup that decides the game. If Walker is just too much for Nored, of course, UConn will be in great position to win the game.

But, if Nored does a great job of defending Walker and can stay out of foul trouble, I like Butler.

If I'm UConn, I want to go after Howard in the post and get him in early foul trouble. When Howard gets in early foul trouble, it's hard for Butler to remain effective.

UConn's defensive is built more on athleticism. The Huskies believe they can guard anyone's five and be effective.

Being physical is key to any game but the more physical team in the post will win. You saw it against Pitt, Butler got out-rebounded, Howard wasn't efficient, Andrew Smith was taken out of his game, and Khyle Marshall was in foul trouble. Now if it Nasir Robinson doesn't make a bone-head foul, who really wins that game?

Nonetheless, these two teams are both similar and this game will be decided in the last minute. The real question is, which superstar leads their team, Mack or Walker?

This game might one of the more evenly matched game in the tournament.

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Butler Doesn't Want to be 'Runner-ups' Again

Posted by CoHoops DeAnte Mitchell

To some, the most important game in history for the Butler Bulldogs (27-9, 13-5) came last year against Duke, in their first ever National Championship.

To some, Butler is still considered a Cinderella mid-major team.

With their, young, but gifted head coach Brad Stevens, Butler made their second-straight Final Four with an OT thriller over No.2 seeded Florida.

The first mid-major to do so since UNLV did it in '90 and '91.

That same UNLV squad won the National Championship out of its two tries. Butler is trying to achieve the same feat.

Just after Butler punched it's ticket to the Final Four, they returned from New Orleans only to receive a standing ovation from their home fans.

Junior guard Ronald Nored was the most outspoken player saying, "I told somebody today that this year, we're going to get the real call from President Obama and not the runner-up call," which really got the crowd going.

Nored, was a key asset to last seasons team that just fell short of a National title. He did lose his starting position this season, but hasn't folded, it was only motivation to continue to get better.

In 2009, Butler needed late-game heroics from Gordon Hayward and a halfcourt shot that fell just short at the buzzer.

Coach Stevens surely wanted to win but even after defeat he told his players, "There's certainly nothing to hang your head about. I told them in there, what they've done, what they did together, will last longer than one night, regardless of the outcome."

It will be a similar feeling for Butler, but this time around, they want to win it. The Bulldogs should have a decided advantage, as far as experience goes.

This Butler team knows how to win and fight through adversity. It was just late January, early February, when you witnessed Butler lose three straight road games, one to bottom-feeder Youngstown State.

The one game at a time cliche paid dividends because, since then, Butler hasn't loss a game and went on to win the conference title and was selected as one of the 68 teams in the field after going off the radar for sometime.

The Bulldogs managed to squeak past Old Dominion in the first round after a buzzer beater by senior Matt Howard but really shocked the world with their last second defeat over No. 1 seeded Pittsburgh.

The Bulldogs, not only made two straight trips to the Final Four, but also has defeated the No. 1 and No. 2 seed in their region for the second straight year as well.

As usual, the path to the National Championship is never easy. The Bulldogs will have a tough time with one of the hottest teams in America in the VCU Rams, who are coming off a 10-point victory over No. 1 seeded Kansas.

If Butler does what is possible the next two games, this team, along with its gifted coach, should go down as one of the best teams of all-time.

Howard and Shelvin Mack have led Butler throughout the tournament thus far, but the Bulldogs will only go as far Shawn Vanzant and Khyle Marshall takes them.

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Butler Poised for Another Magical Run?

Posted by CoHoops DeAnte Mitchell

Gordon Haywards last second shot in last years NCAA Championship game will forever be known for what could have been.

The Butler Bulldogs (25-9, 13-5) had made their way to the National Championship game after knocking off No. 1 and No. 2 in their region, back-to-back.

After watching their desperation attempt fall short at the buzzer, Butler was left empty handed but shown potential to get back where all the magic started.

Although, without superstar Hayward, it would be more of a struggle.

Jumping up and down in joy, was Butler at mid-court after making another last second victory to knock off the No. 1 seed in their region for the second straight season.

Butler enters the Sweet 16 for the second straight year currently riding a 11-game win streak and are on the brink of reaching the schools second Final Four if they keep winning.

But in order to continue their improbable run to another Final Four, Butler will have to withstand some outstanding tasks.

Namely, stopping the red-hot Wisconsin Badgers (25-8, 13-5) who win games on the defensive side of the ball.

Wisconsin was thought to be defeated in the first round by Belmont, but their stifling defense held them to 58 points and cruised to victory.

Just yesterday, the Badgers used defense to defeat the Kansas State Wildcats. K-State senior Jacob Pullen had scored 38 points on Wisconsin but guard Jordan Taylor made sure it wasn't 41, as he blocked the potential game-tying shot.

Wisconsin is a veteran team with a combined eight juniors and seniors on their roster. Taylor and Jon Leuer have played like seniors rather than juniors averaging double-figured scoring on the season.

The only real question mark this season has been, who will step up outside of the two juniors, and Wisconsin has proved their is more to the team than the two talented stars.

Butler has its share of talented stars led by Matt Howard and Shelvin Mack. Howard hit two clutch shots to win the game in both outings in March, and Mack led the Bulldogs in scoring with 30-points against one of the better defensive teams in the nation.

It's hard to find many weaknesses on both sides, which is why this game will be filled with interesting match-ups. The one potential mismatch could be Ronald Nored against Taylor.

Nored is a great on-ball defender, and Taylor is coming off a poor-offensive outing against Kansas State. If Butler is able to utilize Nored's defensive prowess on Taylor, the Bulldogs will be in great position to win the game.

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Butler Down But Not Out Following Loss to Duke

Posted by CoHoops DeAnte Mitchell

The Butler Bulldogs (4-3), last years runner-ups, recently fell to the No. 1 Duke Blue Devils (8-0) 82-70.

With 13:04 left in the second half Ronald Nored picked up a cheap fourth foul after grazing Nolan Smith on a three-point attempt that sidelined him with his fourth foul.

At the 12:48 mark in the second half, Shelvin Mack fired up a three and came down awkwardly.

Many people found out later that it was leg cramps, and instead of coming back in Mack sat for the rest of the game, which hurted the Bulldogs.

With those two on the bench, Duke's knockout punch was a 12-0 run that pushed the game out of range for Butler.

Howard returned only to pick up his fifth foul with 2:17 left in the game, with Shawn Vanzant working to pull Butler closer to the lead.

Thereafter, Duke knocked down nine straight free-throws and marched away with a 12-point victory in the National Championship rematch.

With Butler falling for the third time in seven games, the Bulldogs are off to their worst start since 2005-06. Now many people are starting to count Butler out, but that is not the right thing to do.

The Bulldogs are on a rough stretch with losses coming at Louisville, against Evansville and Duke.

Three losses in which Matt Howard faced foul trouble. Nored, Butler's best on-ball defender, and leader of the defense did not play against Evansville, and with all three, the Bulldogs were 10-minutes away from getting closure on the defending National Champs.

Butler also saw an emerging guard in Vanzant who can score the basketball on offense just as good as any player on the team. Andrew Smith, and Garret Butcher stepped up big for the Bulldogs in the post showing a lot of maturity.

If both can start finishing around the rim, the Bulldogs might establish a lot of depth in the frontcourt. Despite the (4-3) record, I expect the Bulldogs to improve as the season progresses.

The Bulldogs are back to health, hopefully, and have a chance to make a statement against the Xavier Musketeers (5-2) December 9, 9 PM ET.

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Butler, Duke Re-Match From March; Duke Wins Again, 82-70

Posted by CoHoops Josh Dhani

 

It was a re-match of last season’s National Championship. The Duke Blue Devils were leading, 61-59, over the Butler Bulldogs. The Bulldogs were the Cinderella team entering this match-up, but the Blue Devils came out on top with their great veteran experience from coach Mike Krzyzweski. Gordon Hayward had a chance to win the game for Butler, almost making a half-court shot to win the game, but it barely missed!

With Hayward gone, the Bulldogs hoped to bring revenge still on the Devils. It was basically a game going back and forth. But later in the game, star-player Shelvin Mack would injury himself with cramps. He would not return. With that, the Bulldogs were in a hole. But they would bounce back. But later in the second half, Kyrie Irving would get hot, and he would help end the game for a Duke win, 82-70. The Blue Devils improve to 8-0 while Butler falls to 4-3.

This would be Coach K’s 876th career victory, passing coach Rupp on the all-time wins list.

“I’m going to win more I think than Coach Rupp, God bless him, who won’t win any more,” Krzyzewski said of the late coach. “He won a lot of them and he won them in his way and they didn’t play as many games then. Each era has outstanding achievements by individuals, whether they be players or coaches and in this era I’ve been fortunate to have some.

“It’s tough to compare,” Krzyzewski said. “I much rather would have tied him in April than today because I’m going to keep coaching and we should win more games. You get too caught up with what your own team is doing to focus on that kind of stuff.”

It’s the 18th straight win overall for Duke now. Nolan Smith had 24 points while Irving had 21, including 17 in the second half. Like mentioned earlier, Irving hit two keys three-pointers to finish the game off.

“Nolan did a tremendous job tonight. He played like a veteran,” Irving said. “He put us on his back in the second half of this game.”

Smith said, “Kyrie brings a lot. He’s a dangerous point guard.”

Butler will face Xavier next while Duke will the Bradley Braves.
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Louisville Opens New Arena With Upset Over No. 18 Butler

Posted by CoHoops DeAnte Mitchell

The Louisville Cardinals (1-0) opened the game with a 6-0 advantage over the No. 18 Butler Bulldogs (1-1).

They also watched Matt Howard leave the game after picking up his second foul with 16:44 left in the first half.

Soon after that, Louisville asserted dominance inside and pulled out a 41-23 halftime lead.

Checking back into the history book, the Bulldogs have not allowed a team to score 40 first half points since losing to the Milwaukee Panthers by 16 in '06.

Nonetheless, things changed up a bit in the second half. Louisville got a scare from Butler late in the second half, however, the Cardinals just would not let the Bulldogs back in the game.

Despite leading by more than 20-plus, the Cardinals stayed in front of the Bulldogs and ran towards a 88-73 victory.

Shelvin Mack paced all scorers with 25 points, but also added seven rebounds. Howard, who was in early foul trouble, came alive in the second half and is one of the main reasons why the Bulldogs were able to pull close to the lead.

After scoring two points in the first half, Howard exploded for 21 second half points. Howard ended with 23 points, and nine rebounds.

Rakeem Buckles, pulled in the second double-double of his career with a 17 point, 11 rebound performance to lead Louisville to victory.

Four other players were in double-figures for the Cardinals; Terrence Jennings (13), Mike Marra (11), Preston Knowles, and Elisha Justice both scored 13 apiece.

The Cardinals could surprise a lot of people this season. They forced a No. 18 Butler team to turn the ball over 17-times, and commit 31 total fouls, many which came under one minute left to play.

Nonetheless, the key statistic of the game can be place on the 18 assist to 27 made field goals. The Cardinals move the ball very well on offense, and at least seven players had more than two assist.

The Bulldogs are the third ranked team to lose today following the Virginia Tech Hokies, and Florida Gators.

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Duke Crushes Princeton at home, 97-60

Posted by CoHoops DeAnte Mitchell

The Duke Blue Devils (1-0) came into the game defending their National title won a year ago after defeating the Butler Bulldogs.

The Blue Devils started the season with the pesky Princeton Tigers (1-1) that are coming off a win against Rutgers in their season-opener.

However, the momentum did not carry over into Cameron Indoor Stadium.

After acquiring a 42-28 halftime lead, Duke picked things up and opened their title defense with a 97-60 win.

Kyrie Irving, the freshman guard, had the most impressive night accumulating 17 points, nine assist, four rebounds, two steals, and turned the ball over one time.

The Blue Devils had five players in double-figures with Seth Curry, the transfer from Liberty coming up with 14 along with Andre Dawkins 12 off the bench.

Nolan Smith lead all scorers with 22 points, and Kyle Singler added 16 points.

However, more impressively the Blue Devils defense forced 27 turnovers, 17 coming in the first half, which resulted in many fast break points.

The Blue Devils also hit 14-of-26 three point attempts, and ended the game shooting 53 percent from beyond the arc.

Princeton picked up their first loss of the season, and continues to allow a lot of scoring. There were two players in double-figures for Princeton, both Ian Hummer and Dan Mavraides; Hummer with 14, and Mavraides lead Princeton with 16.

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Shelvin Mack's 20 Helps Butler Rout Marian 83-54

Posted by CoHoops DeAnte Mitchell

Once Gordon Hayward decided to leave for the NBA, nobody expected to see the Butler Bulldogs doing good anymore.

However, after today that is an afterthought. The Bulldogs made a statement in their season-opening win agains the Marian Knights 83-54.

Shelvin Mack, and Andrew Smith were the only Bulldogs in double-figures. Mack paced the Bulldogs with 20 points, four rebounds and three steals.

Smith added 10 points and four rebounds. Matt Howard nailed 3-of-4 field goals and came away with six points and seven rebounds.

Freshman Khyle Marshall made his Butler debut and accumulated nine points, three rebounds, and two blocks.

Overall, after a slow start by Butler things started picking up right before half. Mack, and Ronald Nored both made significant plays to put Butler up 42-28 at the half.

Nored was locked in on the defensive end coming away with four steals. Nored also got into the scoring column with five points, along with five assist, while turning the ball over once.

Butler as a team out-rebounded Marian 31-17, and forced 15 turnovers. Despite the slow start, Butler was able to overcome their sluggish first 15 minutes and come away with a 29-point victory.

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Cody Zeller Makes Indiana Relevant Again

Posted by CoHoops DeAnte Mitchell

If you've watched the Indiana Hoosiers in the past, you understand that they are not use to a (6-25) or (10-21) season. That is what the Hoosiers have faced under Head Coach Tom Crean. Coach Crean was hired right before Hoosier standout Eric Gordon made his way to the NBA.

Coach Crean has a combined record of 16-46, along with no talented newcomers to ignite Indiana's fan base.

One likely target for the future was 6-foot-10 Cody Zeller, the younger brother of North Carolina forward Tyler Zeller.

Zeller is a extremely mobile frontier force. He runs the court, has great length and size. With added bulk, Zeller could be a monster in the post.

Indiana, the Butler Bulldogs, and North Carolina Tar Heels were all vouching for his services but Indiana got the nod.

Zeller is the second recruit to join the Hoosiers 2011 recruiting class joining 6-foot-6 Austin Etherington.

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Believe or Not, Butler Will Be Fine Without Gordon Hayward

Posted by CoHoops DeAnte Mitchell

Last season, Butler reminded all college basketball junkies just how much we enjoy Cinderella's. 

The Bulldogs knocked off the number one and two seeds in their bracket before reaching the Final Four.

Once they reached the Final Four, Gordon Hayward led the Bulldogs over Michigan State by two. He posted a 19 point, nine rebound performance that enabled Butler to play in their first ever National Championship.

Statically, Hayward was the top contributor. But if you watched the game, Shelvin Mack was the backbone of the Bulldogs.

Why Butler Will Keep Having National Success

Everyone remembers George Mason's Final Four run but does anyone besides their fans know where they are now?

With Brad Stevens at the helm, it's almost a sure fire bet that this will not happen to the Bulldogs.

I remember watching the Final Four game against Michigan State during a timeout when the announcers were talking about Stevens and the success he has had since taking over at Butler.

All I could think was that he'd be leaving when the season was over to go somewhere bigger.

Thank goodness for Butler he didn't.

"First and foremost, I'm loyal to Butler," Stevens said.

His 89-15 record is best for his first 100 games in Butler history.

Also, Butler is sure to be ranked in the preseason Top 25 with stars Matt Howard and Shelvin Mack returning to come in with a trio of solid recruits.

Khyle Marshall, the highest rated incoming recruit for the Bulldogs, stands at 6-6 and is known for

his play above the rim.

With that said, they obviously have enough talent to compete with the best in the country, not to mention their own conference.

Butler will always be atop the Horizon League. It seems as if they are a full step ahead of everyone else in the conference.

In Stevens' first three seasons, he is 49-5 in conference play.

It almost seems as if Butler is starting to compete with Memphis and Gonzaga as teams that dominate their conference every season. Well, they have to if they don't want to be the next George Mason.

It's obvious that Butler has the talent to keep having this national success that they enjoyed last season, they just have to keep living up to their potential.

It's going to be great to see if last season's Cinderella can fill the role again next season. It's not that farfetched of a prediction, either.

Written By Collin O'Connor

Collegiate Hoops: Ridiculously Early Final Four Picks

The college basketball season is far from beginning but I'm going to give you my ridiculously early Final Four picks. 

Honorable Mentions:

Butler Bulldogs

They did lose their star Gordon Hayward, but let's not forget they won games with team defense.

If you play defense the way the Bulldogs did, you can beat anybody in the league. Not to mention, everybody on the team has returned except Hayward.

You still have Shelvin Mack and Matt Howard to ignite a championship run. Oh yeah, Mack could have been the player of the game in the Kansas State game. He kept the game out of reach, and made the key defensive play and pass to seal the victory.

With all the other guys returning and a wonderful Head Coach in Stevens, the Bulldogs will have a chance to prove to the world that they're not one-hit wonders.

Illinois Fighting Illini

The Fighting Illini lost Dominique Keller and Stan Simpson but is still a top team. They returned All-Star point guard Demetri McCamey that could have been Big Ten Player of the Year or at least talked about if it wasn't for some guy named Evan Turner.

They also returned players Mike Davis and Tisdale. Not to mention, their recruiting class is right up there with the best programs in the league.

They have a nice fantastic four in Davis, Tisdale, McCamey and Jereme Richmond.

Watch out for the Illini, I guarantee they won't be snubbed in this year’s tournament. With McCamey progressing as a player, I think he can lead them deep into the tournament. 

(In no particular order)

4. Kansas State Wildcats 

So the Wildcats lost three players from their Elite-Eight run in last year's tournament—two role players and one key contributor.

However, with the return of superstar Jacob Pullen the Wildcats are my favorite to reach the Final Four.

Kansas State was known for its backcourt duo last year, but now it's going to be all about the frontcourt. They brought in Freddy Asprilla, the 6'10'' monster in the paint. Jamar Samuels a junior at Kansas State said that he was Luis Colon with more skill.

Another freshman standout is Will Spradling. He stole the ball away from his teammate on the first play and scored. 

So they definitely have one of the deepest teams in the NCAA.

3. Purdue Boilermakers

The Boilermakers were fortunate enough to return both E'Twaun Moore and Jajuan Johnson. Both players are one of the reasons that Purdue will be huge players in the NCAA tournament.

Along with Johnson and Moore is Robbie Hummel. If you don't remember, once Hummel went down with season ending surgery, Purdue season did the same.

Now with the big three, and Lewis Jackson healthy, they are favorites to reach the Final Four.

They have brought in combo-guard Terone Jackson and that is going to make a huge splash on the offensive end.

If they stay healthy, and get contributions from their bench they'll have a chance to get to the Final Four and National Championship game.

2. Michigan State Spartans

The Michigan State Spartans returned every single player from their Final Four team except Raymar Morgan. 

Now let's put this into consideration: The Spartans almost won a National Championship without their facilitator Kalin Lucas.

They have their Head Coach Tom Izzo back and that's all they need.

To add more depth and strengthen the roster, Izzo brought in Keith Appling and Adreian Payne—two freshmen that can come in and make huge contributions immediately. 

You might want to note this as well: Every player that stayed at least four-years with Izzo had the chance to compete in the Final Four.

That sounds like some good stuff and the freshman's should get a taste of what that is like once they start playing Spartan basketball.

1. Duke Blue Devils

The Blue Devils has a very good chance at repeating for the first time since Florida did it earlier in the decade.

They returned Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith. They lost Jon Scheyer and Brian Zoubek, but also brought in some of the best young talent.

Stand-out point guard, Kyrie Irving is said to be the most polished point guard we've seen in a while. He has great vision, and passing skills; on top of that, he can score the basketball at will.

Mason and Miles Plumlee will take the services down-low, while Seth Curry--the transfer from Liberty--helps out in the backcourt.

The Blue Devils squad is going to run about a 10-to-12 man rotation. They have a lot of depth and have a lot of talent on their roster.

With experience, and depth, they have the best chance at a repeat.

(Tell me what you think. Did I miss a team, or did I put a team on here that didn't deserve it? Hit me up at CollegiateHoops@gmail.com or simply reply below)

Written by DeAnte Mitchell