Cinderella

	Loren Stokes will lead a Hofstra squad that is hungry after narrowly missing the NCAA tourney last season. AP

Davis: Winthrop
I'm going to pimp this program every chance I get. How many schools would love to win their conference and go to the NCAA tournament six times in eight years? Greg Marshall's Eagles have done that, and with four starters and seven of their top eight players returning from last year's team that went 23-8 and almost knocked off second-seeded Tennessee in the first round, Winthrop will win its seventh title in nine years.

Wahl: Hofstra
The Pride got jobbed out of an NCAA tournament bid last year, but it won't happen again. Tom Pecora has one of the nation's best backcourts in Loren Stokes, Carlos Rivera and Antoine Agudio.

Winn: Long Beach State
The Mo' Valley should no longer have Cinderella status, so we'll go more obscure, to the Big West, where the four-guard 49ers look like a runnin', gunnin' upset squad. The nation's second-fastest team last season (75.2 poss./game) could take a slower-paced school by storm in the dance.

Player of the Year

Davis: Joakim Noah, Florida
Let's not overthink this, folks. By the end of last season, Noah was the best player in the nation, and he was just scratching the surface of his potential. His ability to block shots and defend on the perimeter has been well-established, but it's safe to assume his offensive game will broaden this year.

Wahl: Noah
As much as he improved last year, Noah knows he can get even better--and nobody else will work any harder to get there.

Winn: Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina
Three reasons. He's improved his shooting and explosiveness after being the national Freshman of the Year. He's on a high-profile team. And UNC plays so fast he gets more opportunities to score and rebound than candidates on halfcourt teams.

Biggest Disappointment

Davis: Greg Oden, Ohio State 
I think Oden is the best freshman in the country, but it's been a while since I've seen expectations so unrealistic for a first-year guy. In the first place, Oden is a center, and one with a limited offensive repertoire. Second, he's out with a wrist injury until early January. He'll have some outstanding games, but lead Ohio State to the Final Four? Not bloody likely.

Wahl: Oden
It's not Oden's fault, but media expectations are just too high. Even if Oden is healthy enough to play by Jan. 1 (and that's not guaranteed), I don't see him leading the freshman-laden Buckeyes to the Big Ten title or the Final Four.

Winn: Sean Williams, C, Boston College
There's a lot of hype around a guy who is starting his second straight season on suspension. I have doubts he'll develop into anything more than a shot-blocker; he had the worst offensive efficiency rating on his team last year (96.2) and, despite his size, only had the fifth-best offensive rebounding percentage (8.4).

Next Household Name

Davis: Tywon Lawson, North Carolina
You saw what kind of impact Tyler Hansbrough had last year in Chapel Hill as a freshman. The Tar Heels will be ranked in everybody's top three and will appear on national television every week, which means lots of face time for their dynamic new freshman leader. Lawson is ridiculously quick with the ball, so he'll be fun to watch while helping the Heels win the ACC title.

Wahl: Chase Budinger, Arizona
The co-MVP of the McDonald's All-American Game says he's actually better at volleyball (in which he was regarded as the next Karch Kiraly). Who knows how good the explosive 6-8 freshman will be now that he's focusing on one sport for the first time in his life? (Just make sure you pronounce his name right: it's BUD-ing-GRR with a hard G.)

Winn: Kevin Durant, Texas
Durant is not going to be a role-playing rookie. Longhorns coaches are already thinking he could be not just a Freshman of the Year candidate, but a Player of the Year candidate.