BIAH Season Update: Final Four Picks Pt. I

Believe it or not, we are now about a quarter of the way through the regular season. With the pre-season tournaments in the past and conference season on the horizon, things are starting to slow down a bit as most schools are getting bogged down with finals. We at BIAH have had a chance to see all of the top teams and players in the country take the court, so here are each of our writers early, but educated, opinions on the Final Four, postseason awards, and the top 25.

ROSS WEINGARTEN

North Carolina: Everything that can be said about this Tar Heel team has already been said: dominant, deep, unbeatable. I'll add one more: Wow. I have watched a lot of basketball in my time. Being a huge Duke fan makes this even harder to say. At this point, I can't remember a team with so few apparent weaknesses than UNC. They are athletic, talented and deep. Roy Williams is one of the best coaches in the game, Tyler Hansbrough is the best player, Ty Lawson the best point guard and that's just the beginning. People have raised questions about their defense, but I believe that after getting embarrassed by Kansas in last year's final four, UNC has enough motivation to buckle down on the defensive end when they need to. The ACC is better this year than it has been the last few, with Duke, Wake Forest and Miami all very good teams, and others with the potential to surprise people. But I'd be shocked if Carolina doesn't walk through the ACC and all the way to the Final Four. I just want everyone to know how much it hurts to write that.

Wow.

After UNC, there are a number of teams that have the talent and toughness to make the Final Four. However, all of these teams have serious questions that need to be answered before the second half of the season if they are to make deep runs into the tournament. While there are no more clear favorites to make the final weekend of the season, I'll pick three that I think will get there.

Gonzaga: The Zags are for real. In the past, Gonzaga has had talented teams that simply weren't tough enough or defensive-minded enough to make it to the Final Four. I believe this team is different. Jeremy Pargo is an extremely smart point guard and the catalyst for this team. Against Tennessee, he was solid but unspectacular for the first 35 minutes. Then, at the end of a close game against a very good Volunteers team, he took over, scoring at will, handling the press and making free throws. When you add Austin Daye, Josh Heytvelt, Matt Bouldin and Micah Downs, you get one of the most talented teams in the country. If Steven Gray is making his threes like he did against the Vols, watch out. Coach Mark Few has done a great job scheduling a very tough out-of-conference schedule to get the Zags ready for the tournament. I believe this is the year they break through and make the Final Four.

Pittsburgh: Year in and year out, Pitt's teams seem to be identical. Really tough, great defensively and boring to watch. This year is no exception, although I think they have a bit more talent than normal. Sam Young is one of the best players in the country, able to use his quickness and athleticism to go around bigger players and his size to go over smaller ones. Dejuan Blair had a great freshman year and looks even quicker and in better shape this year. Although undersized, he's very difficult inside. Most importantly, they have a senior point guard in Levance Fields that knows what needs to be done to win. He's a terrific ball-handler and defender and can score when asked. Throw in the characteristic toughness of all Jamie Dixon teams and I think Pitt will play into April.

Oklahoma: This is my dark-horse pick. "But Ross, you love Duke. Why not pick the Blue Devils?" Good question, and it pains me not to. But against Michigan, they faced an athletic team in a hostile environment and looked over-matched. It's the same old story: Duke has trouble with really athletic teams and when they are not making their threes, they can be in for a long night. True, this Duke team is different and deeper than in the past, but to be a serious final four contender, I think Gerald Henderson needs to become a star (he coasts too much right now) and Lance Thomas needs to emerge as a 30-minute-a-game big man. That might happen. But it might not.

So that leads me to the Sooners. Everyone knows about Blake Griffin, and the hype is real. He's the best player in the country, strong as an ox but able to lead the break and step out and make jumpshots. There's nothing he can't do and will probably be the first pick in next year's NBA draft. But the Sooners are more than just one guy. Taylor Griffin, Blake's brother, is a very solid player, Cade Davis is one of the best shooters in the game, and Willie Warren is an emerging star (at least when he learns what a good shot is). They already have solid wins against Purdue, Davidson and USC. I think this pick will surprise people, but a great player can take a team very far in March, and I think the Sooners will be no exception.

Writers Note: Rob will ask, why not UConn? The answer is because I hate UConn. And I don't much like Rob. Plus, they only beat Buffalo by 4. And they don't have great shooters. That's why.

Others I considered: Texas, Louisville, UCLA, Georgetown and Notre Dame. All great teams, but I think not quite Final Four caliber. Yet.