The Answer Man is everywhere it seems, but Andy Katz still finds time to answer a few questions from ESPN.com users he receives each week.

Does Gonzaga have a real chance of making it to the Final Four?
Rich
Fargo, N.D.

Yes. The bracket makes all the difference in the world. But Gonzaga has three of the most important intangibles to making the Final Four. The Zags can rebound, defend and have a big-time point guard. They'll be in every game because of those three characteristics to their game. And they keep getting better with a healthy Blake Stepp to go along with Dan Dickau. If Winston Brooks comes back then the rotation is set. The inside players keep getting better and better with Ronny Turiaf having the biggest upside of them all.

I know that Cincinnati is a good team, but do you think that they are actually a top 10 team? Has their schedule been strong enough to consider them a top ten team?
Geoff
Louisville

Why not? Cincinnati is pounding opponents and has a legitimate shot to run the table in Conference USA. The Bearcats don't have as many scorers as a few of the other elite teams but they play as tough defense as anyone in the country. They're intense, and get in the face of who they're guarding. Steve Logan is as prolific a scorer as there is on a roster. And Bob Huggins loves this role of being the underdog and underappreciated. Cincinnati should have been in the preseason top 25. Had that happened then we wouldn't be discussing their rise to the top 10 from nowhere.

What do you think about the Uche Okafor ruling at Missouri. I think the NCAA was very wrong by ruining his dream of playing college basketball. It is such a shame that they have lost the focus on the real issue and that is the dreams of of Uche. He had no intent on turning pro.
Ed Hazlett
Independence, Mo.

It was a shame. My issue with the NCAA is that they never take into account the human emotion in dealing with these cases. They could have made a ruling months ago, but instead continued to drag this out when this was the most important thing in Okafor's life at the time, and for some of the people in the program. To the NCAA committee, it was just another case. Sure, this happens in a court of law all the time. But this isn't a court of law. This is an innocent person who hasn't committed a criminal act. The issue is whether or not he intended to professionalize himself when he was fleeing Nigeria to go to Russia and then to Canada. Was he exploited? Possibly. But he's not a lock for the pros. Neither was Muhammed Lasege at Louisville. We are not talking about players like Dirk Nowitzki or Pau Gasol. These are marginal professionals. But the NCAA isn't going to bend. If a player's name is on a contract then he will be ineligible. If that's the case then it should have been decided months ago. That information wasn't new. Okafor could have made choices in the summer instead of being in idle for almost the whole season.

When will Ohio State be put into the right place in the polls? They only lost Ken Johnson from last year. A lot of big-game experience and good guard play has put them in position to win the Big Ten this year.
Ryan Wilgor
Greenwich, Ohio

Ryan, the reason Ohio State wasn't taken as seriously was the Buckeyes didn't have as impressive a non-conference season. They lost at home to Pittsburgh (which is turning out to be a very credible and respectable loss) and didn't get a big-time statement game in November and December. Now they're starting to make their move. I have no problem with them not being ranked yet, and if they continue to stand atop the Big Ten, then they will be a regular in the polls. Their guard-play has been as consistent as it was expected but the fact that they're not getting exploited inside is the best news for this team.

A lot of people don't know how good the MAC is because it doesn't get national exposure. With the likes of Ball State's success this year, do you think such players like Kent's Trevor Huffman or Bowling Green's Keith McLeod with get drafted? And how much has Dan Dakich's stock gone up? Why isn't he mentioned for more jobs?
Nick
Cincinnati

Huffman and McLeod are on the radar screen for the draft. Huffman probably has a better shot because he's taller, but McLeod's scoring is moving him up the ladder. Both players will have a legitimate shot to prove themselves in the pre-draft camps. There is no reason why they can't do what Trenton Hassell from Austin Peay did and play themselves into the first round. As for Dakich, he's definitely a star on the rise. If he wants out, he could get out. He's a definite Big Ten candidate whenever, or wherever, the next opening occurs.

I'm a student at UCLA and I wanted to ask you this question because I know that you are a West Coast advocate. I saw you at the game against Kansas because I was camping out in front of Pauley, so I know that you saw Matt Barnes first hand. Can Matt Barnes play in the NBA? I have been watching him for many years because he went to a high school near mine and I think he is finally fulfilling his potential. He played even better against USC. But can he take his game to the next level?
Dwight Schannep
Los Angeles

Yes he can. Scouts are beginning to like him more and more with each game. He would have to play shooting guard, but his ball-skills are improving daily. His shot has never been better and he's scoring in a variety of ways. He'll definitely get a long, hard look. He probably has more of an upside right now than Jason Kapono, who scouts say is limited even with his shooting touch. The questionable one is Dan Gadzuric. If someone takes a chance on him they might get a rebounding, Theo Ratliff-type of player, if he wants to work at it in the pros.

How can you not include Texas, in your article about Kansas, as a threat to win the Big 12? I mean all they have done since losing "C.O." is beat OSU on the road, and average just over 80 points per game. They boast the one of the youngest lineups in the league playing only one senior serious minutes, yet all these sophomores have been through the battles from last year. T.J. Ford is the best freshman in the conference, and leads the nation in assists. If their recent perimeter performances are any indication of the rest of the season, I find it hard to find a team that can play with UT's aggressive defensive style. Also note that under Barnes, Texas has two 13-3, and one 12-4 conference records finishing no lower than second in three years. The guy can flat-out coach. I really don't understand how they are not ranked in the Top 25, being that their four losses are all to Top 50 RPI teams.
Neil
Houston

You were right. Texas should have been in that story last week. But I never imagined that Texas could beat Oklahoma State and Texas Tech on the road in the same week without Chris Owens. The assumption was that the Longhorns would slide without Owens. But they haven't lost without him and their offense is actually flowing better in his absence. A lot of the credit goes to T.J. Ford on the court and Rick Barnes off of it for making one of the better on-the-fly adjustments this season.

Andy, are you as disappointed with the Memphis basketball team as I am, especially with all of the talent on the team?
Justin Skinner
Memphis

Sort of. But, I was probably as guilty as anyone for hyping the Tigers up too much. I should have known better and realized that it takes a while for a team like this to mesh. It still could by March, but just think how good they could be if everyone stayed (ie: Dajuan Wagner and Chris Massie). It's highly unlikely, but it makes more sense that this team would need time to develop chemistry. The inside players still hold the key to this season. If Kelly Wise, Massie and Earl Barron ever play up to their potential along with Wagner, Scooter McFadgon, Antonio Burks and Anthony Rice, then the Tigers do have deep NCAA Tournament talent.

I thoroughly enjoy your analyses for ESPN, and you make a lot of very good points about the Duke-Maryland matchup. But as a college basketball fan (and Duke grad), I have to question your use of the term "rivalry." As a hoops historian, you should know that rivalries emerge over time -- usually long periods of time. Four great games in one season -- or even more over a few seasons -- could make the Duke-Maryland matchup the biggest game of 2002; it doesn't, however, make it a rivalry per se. I would continue to argue that even though it loses luster this year, Duke-Carolina is the bigger rivalry -- and it will be for a long time. In terms of history, there's a strong argument to be made that Duke-N.C. State is a bigger rivalry than Duke-Maryland, although State's decline has certainly made that a much bigger question. You named some significant rivalries in your piece about Duke-Maryland, and you named some games to mark on your calendar. But I fear that you are confusing or mingling the two concepts, and my question, then, is do you simply consider any game within a conference a rivalry game if the two teams are among the top of their class?
Russ Freyman
New York City

Russ, I was amazed how many Duke students came up to me Thursday night to question my usage of the term "rivalry" with the Duke-Maryland students. I know Duke-North Carolina is the best rivalry in college basketball. It still will be for the fans this season and for anyone associated outside of the basketball program. But Duke treated the Maryland game, and I'm including the students here too, like it was Duke-North Carolina. Why? Because they're smart enough to know Maryland is the toughest challenger to Duke for the ACC title and perhaps the national title. While Duke-North Carolina is the best rivalry and the top one for the school, it isn't for the present players. Jason Williams, Chris Duhon, Carlos Boozer and Michael Dunleavy don't have a rivalry with Melvin Scott or Jawad Williams, Jackie Manuel or even Will Johnson, Kris Lang and Jason Capel. They do have one with Juan Dixon, Lonny Baxter and Steve Blake. Why? Because they have had some tremendous games over the past two to three seasons. Traditional rivalries aren't going to change, certainly not in the ACC. But a rivalry can be developed between players and coaches for brief periods of time. For now in the ACC, the best one this season is Duke and Maryland.

You're not giving the 'Cuse enough hype ... 16-2 overall, 5-0 in Big East play. And with Jimmy B on the bench, SU is 15-0! He's the only coach in the country not to drop a game this season, no disrespect to Bernie Fine! Where do the see the Orange down the stretch, and do you find that SU's strength with Shumpert, Williams, Duany and Theus, along with quality play from Forth, McNeil, Pace and Warrick can boost them to the next level come March?
Dave Perkins
Syracuse, N.Y.

Dave, not sure if you read any of the Preseason NIT material. We were all over Syracuse back then and DeShaun Williams was an ESPN.com player of the week in November. Syracuse has received the love from us here at ESPN.com. The Orangemen are still the best team in the Big East and the only team (sorry Connecticut) that can reach the Elite Eight out of this league. That's our take.

Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com. He answers questions on college basketball weekly.