[Leo_The_Lip]

I mostly watch the ACC and A-10 because their what's on. Which is great for me because the ACC has the best teams and VCU is back to relevance.

UVA is locked in and healthy this year. People don't remember that last season two guys got injured late (Huff and Hunter) and the starting guards were very banged up. That's not the case this year. Duke and UNC are easily the next best teams and all three in the Final Four is not only likely but justified.

VCU is back under one of Shaka Smart's top assistants and playing the real brand of Havoc! that brought the school to the final four. They will have a nice run, likely to the Sweet 16.

Other than those schools, no one else has impressed me as having anything special. Mostly I've seen the top teams, like over-rated Tennessee, lose in a blow out, or struggle to beat ordinary teams.
An interesting side note is seeing top notch mid-major coaches get their chance and not quite make it at big schools. Anthony Grant and Shaka Smart got famous at VCU, and Buzz Williams at Marquette. Grant got fired at Alabama (he did a decent job, but at a school with unrealistic expectations based on football). Now he is doing well at Dayton. Smart followed Grant at VCU and now is ordinary at Texas. I don't expect him to be there much longer. Buzz Lighyear is at a high point at VT, however his team is showing the weakness of his style--down to five players going 40 minutes every night. And seeing 14 point leads fade against Florida State. That will happen two more times and their season will be over.

Basically these guys know how to recruit high energy, hard nosed kids with above average skills. That produces great results at mid-majors. But hustle and determination do not equate to wins in the ACC or SEC where the teams keep rotating better players every night until your team is worn down. Hustle and grit don't play as well with elite level egos, and that is what causes these coaches to not make the next level. Smart is seeing this at Texas where his team bears no resemblance to the VCU Havoc! team he had. Buzz has a nice bunch of 6-6 hustlers, but get crushed inside by the top quality bigs in the ACC.

Whichever mid-major schools get Shaka and Buzz next will be as fortunate as Dayton is with Grant.