Perhaps Kansas can follow North Carolina&rsquo;s lead.</p><p>Last year, the Tar Heels started as the prohibitive choice to capture the national championship and completed the deal by running past Michigan State in Detroit.</p><p>The Jayhawks begin 2009-2010 as the heavy favorite to win their second national title in three years, but the circle of national contenders seems to grow every season.</p><p>Kentucky may take some early hits with freshman stars and new coach John Calipari, but this looms as the most potent Wildcat team in years. Michigan State and Purdue top a strong Big Ten. North Carolina isn&rsquo;t going away, and Kansas will get a stiff challenge in its conference from Texas.</p><p>But the possibility of wearing a second ring played a major role in the return of KU&rsquo;s preseason All-Americans, Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins. The Jayhawks are so talented that coach Bill Self&rsquo;s biggest concern at the moment is deciding which of the regulars returning from a Big 12 title team will redshirt.</p><p><strong><span class="infobox-head">REGIONAL FINALS </span></strong><br /> <strong>&bull;Midwest (St. Louis):</strong></p><p><strong>Kansas over Purdue</strong></p><p><em>Jayhawks end one of Boilers&rsquo; best-ever seasons</em></p><p><strong>&bull;East (Syracuse, N.Y):</strong></p><p><strong>Michigan State over North Carolina</strong></p><p><em>Spartans avenge last year&rsquo;s national title game loss</em></p><p><strong>&bull;South (Houston):</strong></p><p><strong>Texas over Villanova</strong></p><p><em>Friendly audience witnesses Rick Barnes&rsquo; second net-cutting</em></p><p><strong>&bull;West (Salt Lake City):</strong></p><p><strong>Kentucky over Washington</strong></p><p><em>Like Syracuse in &rsquo;03, Cats go from missing NCAA to Final Four</em></p><p><strong><span class="infobox-head">NON-BCS TOP 5 </span></strong><br /> 1. Butler</p><p>2. Dayton</p><p>3. Xavier</p><p>4. Siena</p><p>5. Gonzaga</p><p><strong><span class="infobox-head">Overrated </span></strong><br /> <strong>Team:</strong> Georgia Tech. From last place in the ACC to preseason top 25 love on the strength of freshman Derrick Favors. The Yellow Jackets will be much better but may not reach the league&rsquo;s upper division.</p><p><strong>Player:</strong> Luke Harangody, Notre Dame. Look, he&rsquo;s a superb scorer who hustles and is tenacious. He&rsquo;s not as good on defense, shoots 46 percent from the floor and is only an average finisher in the blocks. Harangody is an iffy pro prospect, but so was Tyler Hansbrough at the same point in his career.</p><p><strong><span class="infobox-head">Underrated </span></strong><br /> <strong>Team:</strong> Kansas State. The Wildcats aren&rsquo;t getting much national attention, but few return as good a starting backcourt as Denis Clemente and Jacob Pullen. Add big man Curtis Kelly, a Connecticut transfer, and other talented parts and K-State should reside with the Big 12 contenders.</p><p><strong>Player:</strong> Gordon Hayward, Butler. Hayward&rsquo;s stock soared over the summer when he helped the United States win the gold medal in the under-19 World Basketball Championship and was named to the all-tournament team. The 6-8 sophomore should help a talented Bulldogs team to a nice NCAA Tournament seed.</p><p><strong><span class="infobox-head">GREATEST IMPACT COACHING CHANGES </span></strong><br /> <strong>John Calipari, Kentucky (from Memphis)</strong></p><p><em>Coach Cal wins wherever he goes, and others clean up the mess.</em></p><p><strong>Sean Miller, Arizona (Xavier)</strong></p><p><em>Miller made the Musketeers the team nobody wanted to see in their bracket.</em></p><p><strong>Anthony Grant, Alabama (VCU)</strong></p><p><em>There&rsquo;s talent in Tuscaloosa; Grant just has to shape it.</em></p><p><strong>Tony Bennett, Virginia (Washington State)</strong></p><p><em>Bennett did wonderful things in Pullman, but will his style work in the ACC?</em></p><p><strong>Mark Fox, Georgia (Nevada)</strong></p><p><em>Best returning player decided to stay. That was a good start.</em></p><p><hr class="infobox-hr-separator" /> <div class="infobox"> <strong><span class="infobox-head">Preseason All-America </span></strong><br /> <span style="line-height:0"><br clear="all" /></span><table border="0" class="story-table"> <tr class="story-table-even-row"><td colspan="3"><strong><strong>First team (returning players)</strong></strong></td></tr> <tr class="story-table-odd-row"><td>PF</td><td> Patrick Patterson</td><td>Kentucky</td></tr> <tr class="story-table-even-row"><td>SF</td><td> Evan Turner</td><td>Ohio State</td></tr> <tr class="story-table-odd-row"><td>C</td><td>Cole Aldrich</td><td>Kansas</td></tr> <tr class="story-table-even-row"><td>SG</td><td> Willie Warren</td><td>Oklahoma</td></tr> <tr class="story-table-odd-row"><td>PG</td><td> Sherron Collins</td><td>Kansas</td></tr> <tr class="story-table-even-row"><td colspan="3"><strong><strong>Second team (returning players)</strong></strong></td></tr> <tr class="story-table-odd-row"><td>PF</td><td> Ed Davis</td><td>North Carolina</td></tr> <tr class="story-table-even-row"><td>SF</td><td> Kyle Singler</td><td>Duke</td></tr> <tr class="story-table-odd-row"><td>C</td><td> Greg Monroe</td><td>Georgetown</td></tr> <tr class="story-table-even-row"><td>SG</td><td> Greivis Vasquez</td><td>Maryland</td></tr> <tr class="story-table-odd-row"><td>PG</td><td> Kalin Lucas</td><td>Michigan State</td></tr> <tr class="story-table-even-row"><td colspan="3"><strong><strong>Freshmen</strong></strong></td></tr> <tr class="story-table-odd-row"><td>PF</td><td> Derrick Favors</td><td>Georgia Tech</td></tr> <tr class="story-table-even-row"><td>SM</td><td> Xavier Henry</td><td>Kansas</td></tr> <tr class="story-table-odd-row"><td>C</td><td> Zeke Marshall</td><td>Akron</td></tr> <tr class="story-table-even-row"><td>SG</td><td> Avery Bradley</td><td>Texas</td></tr> <tr class="story-table-odd-row"><td>PG</td><td> John Wall</td><td>Kentucky</td></tr> </table> </div>