Feb. 22
We are moving closer and closer to Championship Week, followed by March Madness.

As I look at the landscape of college basketball and try to figure out which teams have the best shot at winning the national championship, a few obvious clubs stand out. You don't have to go to Harvard to think of Kansas, Maryland and Duke. They jump out at you immediately as teams that could cut down the nets in Atlanta.

	Once again, Luke Ridnour has the Ducks playing their best basketball at tournament time.

When I look across America, I see up to a dozen teams with the potential to win six straight games in the NCAA Tournament.

I'm sure there will be shocks. Come tournament time, teams get a bit more conservative. Guard play becomes vital, and defensive ability keeps you in games if you have a bad shooting night. It also helps to have a great scorer or two, guys who can give you momentum by hitting the big 3-pointer.

Which other teams could join the Big Three?

I see Florida as a team with potential. But the Gators, led by Brett Nelson and Udonis Haslem, need to improve on a few aspects of their game.

Coach Billy Donovan's team has to get a better understanding of shot selection. There must be a little more discipline on the offensive end, plus the Gators must do a better job of protecting the basketball.

You have to throw in Oklahoma. The Sooners have shown tremendous offensive explosiveness and rebounding prowess. If they play the way they did against Maryland at home or at Connecticut, watch out! Coach Kelvin Sampson's club has enough firepower.

The Sooners need steady play out of Quannas White. Hollis Price is as quick as they come, and he can knock down the 3 and defend. Ebi Ere can put points on the board quickly. Aaron McGhee and Jabahri Brown provide size in the interior.

The way coach Bob Huggins' squad defends, nobody can count out Cincinnati. This team is probably as good defensively as the '92 club that made the Final Four, featuring Nick Van Exel, Corie Blount, Herb Jones and Erik Martin. The Bearcats of 2001-02 attack on the wings with Immanuel McElroy and Leonard Stokes.

This Bearcat team also has the dynamite point guard in Steve Logan; he is capable of knocking down the long-range jumper. Logan can break a game open from downtown; he does a lot more than just distribute the rock, baby! If Cincinnati gets continued improvement from Jason Maxiel, the diaper dandy inside who is going to be special, this team can make a run to Atlanta.

Don't count out Arizona. Think about what Lute Olson has achieved! Luke Walton has improved tremendously; his numbers have been mind-boggling. He can score, defend and pass ... to me, he is the best passing big man in America. The backcourt whiz, Jason Gardner, can penetrate and hit the trifecta. The supporting cast includes improving big man Channing Frye, who can score inside.

The Wildcats have an edge because they believe they can beat the big boys. They proved something special by beating Maryland and Florida at the Coaches vs. Cancer tournament in Madison Square Garden at the start of the season. Olson's team has faced a dynamite schedule already, and that should serve as good preparation for the Pac-10 tournament and then the Big Dance.

You have to throw in several other clubs. Stanford, because of Casey Jacobsen and Curtis Borchardt, has to be considered. Coach Mike Montgomery is a brilliant leader, and this is a dangerous team if Jacobsen plays like he does when he scored 40-plus twice.

Oregon has been so tough. The losses at Stanford and California were heartbreakers. But on a neutral floor, the Cool Hand Lukes (Luke Ridnour and Luke Jackson) along with Freddy Jones and Chris Christoffersen, give coach Ernie Kent's Ducks a legitimate shot at the Final Four.

Then there are the mystery teams: UCLA, USC and Kentucky. Kentucky could get hot if Tayshaun Prince shoots well and the tough defense comes through.

Those are the 12 teams that jump out at me. Expect one of them to cut down the nets, though it would be magical to see Duke and Kansas squaring off for the title in Atlanta. That would be really special after a wacky season.