SI.com's experts answer season's biggest questions

	Brandon Rush and the Jayhawks checked out early in last year's NCAA tournament, but this could be their year to make a title run. John Biever/SI

SI.com assembled its team of hoops experts -- Seth Davis, Grant Wahl and Luke Winn -- and solicited their predictions for the upcoming season. Here are their picks.

National Champion

Davis: Kansas
Wahl: Kansas
Winn: North Carolina

Final Four teams

Davis: Kansas, North Carolina, Arizona, Pitt
Wahl: Kansas, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Arizona
Winn: North Carolina, Georgetown, Arizona, Wisconsin

Surprise Team

Davis: Washington
Whenever a team loses a lottery pick such as Brandon Roy, people anticipate a major drop. But I expect Lorenzo Romar's Huskies will be right in the thick of the Pac-10 race. Sure, Washington is young, but who isn't these days? Romar's ability to recruit back-to-back top-five classes will pay off late in the year.

Wahl: Creighton
The Bluejays won't surprise people in the know -- they're in most preseason top 20s -- but I think they'll be a top-10 fixture all season long (which is why I have Dana Altman's team at No. 8). Star guard Nate Funk is back (and healthy), and Anthony Tolliver has become a man down low.

Winn: Virginia Tech
The basketball gods owe the Hokies -- especially star senior forward Coleman Collins, whose father passed away in February -- a breakout season to make up for a tragic 2005-06. Tech has the talent (with all five starters back) to reach the NCAAs.

Biggest Flop

Davis: Georgetown
You've gotta love Roy Hibbert and Jeff Green up front, but college hoops is still a guard-oriented sport, and the Hoyas simply don't have the perimeter talent and depth to justify the lofty preseason expectations.

Wahl: Florida's NCAA tournament
I won't use the word "flop," but anything short of another national title will be a disappointment for the Gators, and all it will take is one bad day in March to keep it from happening. My guess: Florida will be better than it was during last year's regular season and earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAAs -- but fall short of the Final Four.

Winn: Ohio State
"Flop" might be too harsh; I think the Buckeyes will finish second in the Big Ten. The way they're being ranked, though -- a baffling fourth in the preseason coaches poll -- the general expectation seems to be that they'll reach the Final Four. Even with Oden, I think they're too young to pull it off.