How would the addition of Howard, Williams and Smith help the Tar Heels? Says PG Bobby Frasor: "It's kind of funny to think about how good they would be. I don't know if we would have lost a game yet. With Tyler [Hansbrough] and Brandan [Wright] coming off the bench, that's pretty amazing right there." We have to agree. Both Smith and Williams are an upgrade over Reyshawn Terry, whose athletic body usually doesn’t overcome his poor decision-making. Add Tyler Hansbrough and ACC tournament MVP (and frosh) Brandan Wright, speedy point guard Ty Lawson, and sharp-shooter Wayne Ellington, the young Tar Heels would be a nearly impossible squad to defend. --Nicki Jhabvala

EKU's best RPI wins came over Austin Peay and East Tennessee State, but don't tell coach Jeff Neubauer that his team doesn't belong. The Colonels may not foul people (second in the nation in fewest fouls), but they can shoot the rock; freshman Adam Leonard and sophomore Mike Rose are in the top 70 in the nation in three-pointers made and three-point percentage. Neubauer was an assistant coach on the West Virginia squad that made an Elite Eight run in 2005, so who knows what will happen with this Cinderella man at the helm? --Mike Donovan

Led by All-Big East point guard Dominic James, the Golden Eagles burst onto the national scene by winning their first eight games including a victory over No. 8 Duke. Marquette has earned steady selection in the Top 25 over the past two months and features a guard trio of James, All-Big East honoree Jerel McNeal and Wesley Matthews that averages more than 42 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists per game. Strong guard play is a necessity in the NCAA tournament, and the Golden Eagles will only go as far as their talented backcourt can take them. --Joshua Mayers

You think Tom Izzo would welcome Shannon Brown back? Defenses have been able to focus on Drew Neitzel during crunch time this season, but that hasn't stopped Neitzel from making more baskets than an Amish weaving community. Brown and Neitzel would form one of the deadliest backcourt duos in the tournament. --Matt Dollinger

With 23 wins, USC heads to the NCAA tournament ready to make things happen. After being ousted in the final round of the Pac-10 tournament by a hot Oregon team that at one point led by as many as 39 points, the Trojans will rely on junior guards Gabe Pruitt and Nick Young in the Big Dance. This team is deep with many scoring options, including senior Lodrick Stewart and freshmen guards Daniel Hackett and Dwight Lewis. In addition to the experienced and dangerous backcourt, USC added this season freshman center Taj Gibson, who averages 11.8 ppg and 8.4 rpg. When the Trojans get hot, little will stop them. -- Steffi Chan

Despite being ousted in the semifinal round of the Big East tournament, the Fighting Irish found itself by season's end with a 24-7 record. However, only two of those 24 wins were against 2007 tournament teams (Maryland and Villanova). Otherwise, Notre Dame struggled against quality teams. Come tournament time, its strength will be in its depth -- the Irish showcase a whopping nine players averaging double digits in scoring. Also, despite a relatively small lineup in which not a single player is listed at over 6-11, Notre Dame consistently outrebounds its opponents on both the offensive and defensive glass. Senior guard Russell Carter will not likely let his team go quietly. -- Steffi Chan

Kevin Durant is nearly impossible to stop. Add Aldridge, Tucker, and Gibson and you can subtract the word nearly from that last statement. Aldridge, who averaged 15 points and nine rebounds last season has shown great strides in his rookie year, including a 30-point performance against the Bobcats this month. Who knows how good he'd be as a junior in college? Keep D.J. Augustin at point guard, and move Gibson, who goes from playing with LeBron to Durant, to his natural two-guard spot. Along with A.J. Abrams and Jazz guard C.J. Miles off the bench, Texas' athleticism and depth are mind-blowing. If anything, the additions add some experience to a team whose top eight scorers are freshmen or sophomores. -- Mark Selig

It's downright scary to think that A-10 teams have to contest with the Minutemen's frontcourt on a nightly basis. Leading scorer Rashaun Freeman and rejector Stephane Lasme make their first trip to the tournament as seniors after improving their games drastically throughout their college careers. Lasme, who averages over five blocks per game, had four triple-doubles this season. Even if his final block and rebound were phantom and the result of sneaky scorekeeping on senior night, the numbers are still impressive. The addition to Maxwell just adds another scoring swingman to go along with Gary Forbes and James Life. -- Mark Selig

This is the best squad the Commodores have fielded in some time. Senior swingman Derrick Byars (16.8 ppg and 4.9 rpg) is the reigning SEC Player of the Year and leads an athletic lineup. Junior forward Shan Foster averaged 15.4 points this season. Vandy is a streaky team. They have victories over Florida, Kentucky and Georgia Tech but lost to Wake Forest, Furman and Auburn. Role players Dan Cage, Ross Neltner and Alex Gordon will have to provide solid minutes in order for a deep run in the tournament.--Nick Zaccardi

After losing Carmelo Anthony and Gerry McNamara to the pros, Jim Boeheim needed a new presence to lead the Orange. Boeheim got his wish in Syracuse native Andray Blatche, who as a sophomore led the 'Cuse in points (20) and rebounds (9) and added a Big East-leading three blocks a game. Blatche's constant double-teams have led to career years from seniors Terrence Roberts (13 ppg) and Demetris Nichols (16 ppg). Four of the top five players on Syracuse's team are over 6-8, causing matchup problems for any team in the dance. --Mike Donovan

The Cougars' season has been one of the great stories this season. Predicted to finish last in the Pac-10, a well-coached WSU team went into the final week of the regular season with the chance of earning a share of a conference title. Led by discipline and defense, plus an underappreciated amount of talent (All-Pac 10 first team selections Kyle Weaver and Derrick Low), WSU will be a tough match-up team for any team in the NCAA tournament. Don't be fooled by the recent anonymity of the program; the Cougars are for real. --Joshua Mayers

The Golden Eagles (23-10) earned an NCAA bid for the second straight year, a first for the program. The firepower comes in the form of seniors Ken Tutt and Caleb Green, a pair of 2,000-point scorers. Head coach Scott Sutton is confident the Golden Eagles can make some noise in this year's tournament after last year's appearance. --Amy Brittain

The Eagles are led by ACC Player of the Year Jared Dudley, who makes his fourth appearance in the tournament but first without old sidekick Craig Smith. Luckily, in this alternate universe, Sean Williams (a model citizen) is a part of the Eagles squad and the team's toughest defender in the paint. Last year, after reaching the ACC tournament finals, BC was a trendy pick to make it out of the Minneapolis regional -- they could be a serious dark horse this year. With Dudley and Williams in the frontcourt, and talented guards Tyrese Rice and Sean Marshall in the backcourt, the Eagles are a dangerous, experienced team. -- Mark Selig

The Red Raiders rely on their upperclassmen, including senior guard Jarrius Jackson (20.2 ppg) and junior guard Martin Zeno (16.5 ppg). What the team lacks is a post presence: Texas Tech was outrebounded by 4.5 rebounds each game this season, forcing coach Bob Knight to rotated use seven different starters in the frontcourt. No matter how far the Raiders advance, Knight will provide entertainment at the tournament. --Amy Brittain

Fresh off the team's first Big East regular season title since 1997, Georgetown looks to turn a No. 2 seed into a championship. Wins against tournament-bound teams Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, Pittsburgh and Villanova should have the Hoyas prepared. It also helps to have 7-2 junior center Roy Hibbert, the latest in a long line of Hoya giants. --Jay St. Pierre

The Atlantic Sun champs and mid-major power are back for another Big Dance appearance. (Belmont's alums include Brad Paisley, Trisha Yearwood, Lee Ann Womack and the late Minnie Pearl.) Hopefully, they fare a little better than last year's 78-44 loss to UCLA in the opening round. Point guard Justin Hare (15.2 ppg), a first-team Atlantic Sun selection, leads the team in scoring, --Nick Zaccardi