Jan. 24

CORRECTION: In this space on Thursday I answered a question regarding the Minnesota Golden Gophers and mistakenly said they were not eligible for the NCAA Tournament this year. The Gophers have served that part of their penalty and ARE ELIGIBLE FOR TOURNAMENT PLAY THIS MARCH.

Q: As of now, who do you think will head to the Final Four this year? -- Bruce Campbell, Pulaski, Va.
VITALE: If I had to give it today, subject to change, I would go with Michigan State; I like their physical presence. I love Duke with the way it handles and shoots the ball. I love Stanford with its great balance. My fourth may surprise you. I'm going with Arizona. I believe the Wildcats will get rolling and live up to the expectations from earlier this year. There are a lot of outstanding teams right behind them. I would say there are a dozen teams that can win six games in a row. I think there are a lot of teams that can win two in a row, but it is so hard to win six straight to cut down the nets at the Final Four.

	Guard Gilbert Arenas and Arizona have the potential to soar into the Final Four.

Q: How does this undefeated Stanford team rank with the 1997-98 team that started 18-0? -- Vernon Birmingham, Kansas City
VITALE: As I said, I like the balance on this Cardinal team. Certainly the '98 team was outstanding as it proved by going to the Final Four. This year's team has the star player. Casey Jacobsen is not afraid to take the big shot in a close game, as was the case against Duke. Jacobsen is a special player. The two Collins kids have gotten better and better. Michael McDonald is underrated. Julius Barnes provides depth at the point-guard slot. Ryan Mendez is a solid outside threat. I really like everything about this team -- their coaching, the mental attitude and toughness. This is a very special Stanford team.

Q: How about Indiana? You look at there record and it's 12-8, but the RPI is in the 30s. How well does Indiana have to do to get in the NCAA Tournament? -- Brett Lundgren, Valparaiso, Ind.
VITALE: I feel Indiana needs to finish in the first division of the Big Ten. That's very important since the league is bunched up with teams capable of making a run to the Big Dance. The Hoosiers have big wins over Michigan State and Purdue that raise their stock. They have had some heartbreaking losses, but this is a young team that has a lot of potential.

Q: What's wrong with UCLA? Is it a lack of talent or is Steve Lavin the wrong man for this team? I've seen so many times where UCLA has a lead but fails to hold on. Is defense a part of their practices? Another weak area is their free throws! Can they be more atrocious? -- John Coronado, California
VITALE: OK, OK, OK. Give me a break! They lose one game and already people are screaming. The bottom line is they won six in a row and were playing well. Then the Bruins ran into a buzzsaw in Arizona. People fail to realize that UCLA was ahead at halftime of that game. The Bruins had a dismal second half and you have to credit some of that to the Wildcats. Earl Watson has been hurt. This is a dangerous basketball team. It is not a deep squad because they lost a lot of key guys from last year, guys who went into the NBA draft when they weren't ready (Jerome Moiso and JaRon Rush). They are capable of doing damage in the Pac-10 and come tournament time.

Q: I am not a Duke fan, but I do respect the program. They win and Coach K runs a clean program. However, after the crap that Jason Williams pulled at the end of the BC game and the cheap elbows from Boozer in the Georgia Tech game, I can say that I have lost respect for them. When is the NCAA going to wake up and suspend guys for lack of sportsmanship? To me, that stuff is just as bad as spitting on a cheerleader. -- Andy, Alexandria, Va.
VITALE: I did not see the Carlos Boozer scenario. Certainly, in the case of Jason Williams, I saw tapes of that and he's too classy a kid to get into a situation like that. He was totally out of line there. You don't want to humiliate people, taunting like that. It's unacceptable, whether it is Duke or any other team. I think he will learn from this. He's a classy kid and a phenomenal player. To me, he is the best guard in the nation.

Q: Dickie V, fellow paisan, what are your thoughts on the Villanova Wildcats the rest of the year, and how do you think their fate plays out? Thanks ahead of time for your thoughts. You are a scintillating sensation year after year! -- Lee Sardone, Boston
VITALE: Villanova has been a mystery team. The Wildcats showed a lot of potential by playing Duke tough early. They had a good start before going into a slide, hitting a wall a bit. They got beat by UCLA and struggled with Virginia Tech twice. They have been an up-and-down team. Steve Lappas' club has time to get it together and make a run for the NCAAs. I have been impressed with the play of All-Marco Polo big man Michael Bradley.

Q: What are the primary qualities the top college coaches possess that enable them to have strong teams year after year? Why is it so difficult to imitate the qualities that this top inner-circle of successful coaches has? Here in Kansas, we (luckily) have one in Roy Williams. Why can't it be done at more schools? -- David Brown, Lenexa, Kan.
VITALE: Good question. I think when you talk coaching on the collegiate level today, there are a number of factors involved in being a success. It starts with the ability to recruit. Think about John Wooden, who was the best of the best. It didn't hurt him to have guys like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then Lew Alcindor) and Bill Walton. Next, it is important to possess the ability to motivate and communicate your concepts. Getting people to play beyond their norm by motivating them is a trait of good coaches. Finally, the X's and O's, the handling and managing of the game, the technical aspects, are crucial. When a coach has all three of those qualities, their programs will succeed on a regular basis. They sustain positives; look at a Mike Krzyzewski, Roy Williams, Jim Calhoun, John Chaney, Nolan Richardson. Year in and year out, their clubs are very good. Yes, they may have an occasional slide. Those teams will always be extremely competitive and tough to beat.

Q: Kansas is playing a solid season with one small bump in the road at Wake Forest. What will it take to propel them into the finals in March? I love the team, but it just seems like there is a line after Stanford, Duke and Michigan State and Kansas is fighting for that No. 4 slot with quite a few other teams. What do they need to do? -- Jayhawk fan
VITALE: Come postseason, Kansas will have to shoot well from the perimeter. Kirk Hinrich will have to give them good play at the point-guard slot. Kenny Gregory has to stay healthy; he did not dress for that Wake Forest game the Jayhawks lost. He gives them quickness, speed and experience, so that was a big loss. They have solid inside play with Drew Gooden, Nick Collison and Eric Chenowith. This is a very good club, one of the elite teams and highly seeded come tournament time.

Q: Preseason hype had ESPN and the media calling Tamir Goodman "Dr. Jew" and the "Jewish Jordan," but I have heard NOTHING about this Towson State diaper dandy since the season began. What's the deal? Was this a case of all hype? Or did he have success at a weak Talmudical school and college is THAT much better? -- Matty B, Denver
VITALE: He is playing at Towson. He originally committed to Maryland and received publicity and notoriety because of his shooting and ball-handling skills. Goodman has started 16 of the team's first 18 games this season, averaging just over five points a game. He's averaging around 25 minutes per contest and his shooting has been off, around 32 percent from the field.

Q: Forget the names and reputations for a minute. Please rank the following freshman point guards on their performance so far: Andre Barrett, Taliek Brown, Omar Cook and Jameer Nelson. The so-called "holy trinity" and the best player nobody has heard of. Thanks. -- Jim Reilly, Hillsborough
VITALE: These kids are incredible; they are all solid players and they have had great moments. Right now, I would give the edge to Cook. Omar has been a solid player and he's surrounded by so much youth on his team. He doesn't have the kind of cast some others have. Every one of those guards has a tremendous future and upside. I love Barrett's quickness, toughness and ability to make shots. Nelson has been one of the surprises since he didn't come in with a big-time reputation. He has been a factor for a surprising St. Joseph's team. Brown has been up-and-down, but that will happen with young players. The potential is there and these are great diaper dandies. They have a feel for the game. They will get better and better, as long as they continue to mature.

Q: What is your take on the Crimson Tide? They play a tough schedule and I don't know if I should get excited or get a new team. -- Bo McGuffey, Huntsville, Ala.
VITALE: I had a great time down there for the Kentucky game. It was a blast in Tuscaloosa. This Tide team has responded, and it is a young squad, especially with super sophs Erwin Dudley and Rod Grizzard. Down the stretch against the Wildcats, Grizzard was a real PTPer. The Tide has won 10 in a row at home. They have to learn how to win on the road. If they can get a big victory on the road, it will give them more confidence. Alabama has some great recruits coming in next year. The future is bright with the additions of Maurice Williams out of Mississippi, Ernie Shelton from Memphis and Kei Madison, the JUCO transfer who originally committed to Bobby Knight and Indiana. They have a nice nucleus. Gerald Wallace has to keep working on his shooting. Wallace is so explosive and a factor on both ends because of his unreal athletic ability.

Q: A lot of folks here in North Carolina say you're a big Duke Blue Devil fan because your daughters attend that university. Is this true? Are you really pulling for Coach K and those Blue Devils? Also, with you being the hoops expert, tell me what you think North Carolina's chances are of cutting down the nets in Minneapolis. I don't see it happening this year, but next year with the recruiting class coming in I feel my Heels will be a threat to win it all. Anyway, I love the excitement you present with your broadcast. Keep up the good work! -- Tar Heels fan

VITALE: I have never heard anything so absurd! My daughters both graduated from Notre Dame. I love Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky, Kansas ... I love college basketball, baby! I love the game when it is played really well. I love going to Connecticut. I love programs that meet the challenge, year in and year out. I don't know what there is to not like about Duke. I hear this constantly from people, because I sing their praises. The reason I sing their praises is because they deserve it. Check out their record over the last 10 years, check out what their players have done. Look at the success, the trips to the Final Four, the All-America performers -- what is there to knock? The same for North Carolina, and I constantly sing the praises of the Tar Heels.

It's amazing; people hear what they want to hear. Sometimes it is frustrating because it is wacky. I can flat-out tell you my daughters did not go to Duke. As for Carolina, they have a great chance. The Tar Heels are among the nation's elite teams. They are among the Dazzling Dozen with a shot to win it all, in my opinion. They are getting better and better and they present matchup problems inside with their size. It is not easy to go up against Brendan Haywood and Kris Lang. Jason Capel is extremely underrated. Joseph Forte is a superstar. Ronald Curry and Julius Peppers, coming over from football, have brought toughness and strong mentality. This is a very dangerous team, one with a coach who gets the most out of people. Matt Doherty's emotions are contagious and impacting both fans and players. The Smith Center has become a lively arena and they are a special team.