A fast-break run through the top players, the compelling stories and the underdogs to watch this season

3 Cinderellas who will be dancing deep into March

Bradley's Daniel Ruffin. Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images

Davidson: The Wildcats went 17-1 in the SoCon last year, and three of their four nonconference losses were to Michigan, Missouri and Duke.

George Mason: The Patriots could be this year's George Mason, with every starter returning from a team that lost a heartbreaker in the Colonial Athletic Association title game.

Bradley: Daniel Ruffin, who nearly doubled his scoring last season (to 13.8 ppg), is the best player in the Missouri Valley Conference.

6 Mid-major coaches who could be moving up

Mark Fox | Nevada: In his three seasons in Reno the Wolfpack has gone 81-18 and finished first in the WAC every year.

Anthony Grant | VCU: He would have taken over at Florida had Billy Donovan left, but his '07-08 Rams could be better than the '07-08 Gators.

Darrin Horn | Western Kentucky: The Hilltoppers have won 67 games over the last three years and are poised to make their first trip to March Madness under Horn, who led them to the Sweet 16 as a player.

Chris Lowery | Southern Illinois: The fourth-year coach signed a seven-year extension last spring, but the Salukis can only fend off major-conference suitors for so long.

Sean Miller | Xavier: He'll eventually follow in the footsteps of Pete Gillen, Skip Prosser and Thad Matta and leave the Musketeers for a high-profile job.

Jimmy Patsos | Loyola: Three years ago he took over after a 1-27 season. Now he has the Greyhounds poised to challenge for MAAC crown.

4 Story lines that will keep us guessing

A new Coach O in Tucson?: Lute Olson's indefinite leave of absence fuels speculation that newly hired assistant Kevin O'Neill will be his successor.

The West Coast rising: The Pac-10 enters the season as the consensus top conference; eight NCAA bids are not out of the question.

General's last campaign?: Now that Bob Knight has set the alltime wins record, there's a better-than-even chance that he'll retire next spring and hand the reigns to son Pat.

Bench decorum guidelines: How sternly -- and consistently -- will refs enforce the NCAA's new rules that prohibit coaches' unsportsmanlike behavior?

4 Players you've never heard of... but should get to know

Jamont Gordon | 6' 4" | Jr. | G | Mississippi State
This physical (230 pounds) Bulldogs bulldog averaged 15.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.9 assists over his first two seasons.

Kentrell Gransberry | 6' 9" | Sr. | C | South Florida
The mammoth (270 pounds) Gransberry is the country's leading returning rebounder (11.4). He also averaged 15.6 points.

Aleks Maric | 6' 11" | Sr. | C | Nebraska
Despite facing constant double teams, the big Aussie was second in the Big 12 in rebounding (8.7) and fourth in scoring (18.5).

Jeff Pendergraph | 6' 9" | Jr. | F | Arizona State
A former high school teammate of UCLA point guard Darren Collison, he was second in the Pac-10 in rebounding (8.9) and shooting (55.3%).

5 Key faces in new places

DeMarre Carroll | 6' 8" | Jr. | F | Missouri (Vanderbilt)
After averaging 12.1 points and 7.4 rebounds in SEC play as a sophomore, he transferred west to play for his uncle Mike Anderson.

Farnold Degand | 6' 3" | Soph. | G | North Carolina State (Iowa State)
Although he hasn't suited up in two seasons (redshirt, transfer), Degand will take over at the point for the graduated Engin Atsur.

Devan Downey | 5' 9" | Soph. | G, | South Carolina (Cincinnati)
This diminutive point guard made the Big East all-rookie team (12.3 points, 4.1 assists), then left Cincy when Bob Huggins was forced out.

Tyler Smith | 6' 7" | Soph. | F | Tennessee (Iowa)
A Big Ten all-freshman pick (14.9 points, 4.9 rebounds), Smith returned to his home state to be near his father, who died of lung cancer in September.

Robert Vaden | 6' 5" | Jr. | G-F | UAB (Indiana)
He followed Mike Davis from Bloomington in 2006 after averaging 13.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.2 steals as a sophomore.