Florida: Last we saw of Florida, they were trudging off the court after a first-round NCAA loss to Creighton, knowing Udonis Haslem would never again crash the boards for a Billy Donovan team. So why the sense of optimism? Because Donovan just reloads. Add a much-heralded freshman class to a group of sophomore's that was last season's much-heralded freshman class, and Donovan probably has as much raw talent as he's ever had. So why pick Xavier over Florida in the semifinals? Because Florida is destined to be much better in March, when Lee, White and the freshman are used to big-game minutes, than they will be in November.
Bracket prediction: Two wins


Louisiana Tech: They're on the wrong side of the bracket to make a run to New York, but Tech is a solid bet if you're set on picking a first-round upset. They lost leading scorer Gerrod Henderson from last season's 20-win team, but junior forward Antonio Meeking has star potential and plenty of bulk to bang with the boys from the SEC, and senior guard Lavelle Felton, last season's assist leader, can get him the ball.
Bracket prediction: no wins (but upset potential)