Mailbag: UK's point guard, Maui picks, Duke and more

• Could Butler play deep into the NCAA tournament this year?
• What is Kentucky going to do about its point guard situation?
• Which Mountain West team is going to play best in March?

College basketball came back into our lives last weekend with a bang -- fantastic games (including a buzzer-beater on opening night!), mid-major stars and even some drama surrounding UCLA's top freshman, Shabazz Muhammad.

Now that the sport is here to stay for the next four and a half months, we'll celebrate by answering your questions. Our college basketball reporters Nicole Auerbach and Eric Prisbell will answer your questions each Thursday.

Here's a reminder to send in questions for next week's mailbag to nauerbach@usatoday.com.

Jamie Roberts: Usually in college hoops there are a few "great" teams and large contingency of "very good " teams ranked behind them, but this year (I know it's early) there seems to be ton of "very good" teams and no "great" team. This usually opens the door for a couple of out of the norm teams to make a run at the title. What surprise teams have the best shot at the title this season? My best guesses are Butler and Gonzaga, albeit these two are staples in March Madness.

Prisbell: Jamie, thanks for the question and the lede for our story heading into March Madness. I think your question essentially sums up this particular season: A lot of very good teams but no great team. Expect chaos in March. So what teams have the best chance to emerge from the heap? Teams with excellent point guards are best positioned, so are veteran teams, as well as teams that author uneven regular seasons in brutal power leagues. I'd keep my eye on a middle-of-the-pack Big Ten team as a possible true dark horse. I also like Missouri with Pressey. Let's see exactly what Le'Bryan and Smart can do as a tandem at Ok-State. Colorado is a team that could really surprise people. Same for Maryland, with Alex Len playing like a beast. Those are some power-league dark horses. And no doubt Butler, Gonzaga are threats to make a run. Watch Ohio as well. I think I named about half the field.

Auerbach: I kind of like it this way. It means what Eric said is incredibly likely -- chaos in March. Now who doesn't love that? I think we could see teams like Indiana and Louisville (maybe Duke, too?) emerge as "great" teams, but for now, I do agree that a lot of teams have a lot of talent and need to prove that they are great. I'll give you some answers that are different from Eric's (though he did steal a lot of good answers there) and point you in the direction of the Atlantic 10. Butler and VCU are the newcomers, and there's a lot of talented teams there -- St. Joseph's, Saint Louis, Temple and UMass -- that could also make some noise in the NCAA tournament. That conference, like the Big Ten, should be one of the deepest in the nation so those teams will be battle-tested by March.

@teachey: Could PG Jarred Polson be a long term answer for Calipari?

Prisbell: Honestly, it doesn't quite keep me up at night, but I am concerned about Kentucky's point guard situation. I'm not sure Harrow is the difference maker either, at least not yet. I've asked Calipari about the communication on the court among players, and that remains a work in progress. I think one of the unsung story lines from last season was how uneven the play of Teague was and yet the team stormed to a championship. That was a credit to the overall talent on the squad. This year they need a point guard to kind of start the engine, if you will, and I have some questions about this early on. Playing point guard at Kentucky is now like playing quarterback at Notre Dame used to be or some better analogy that maybe Nicole can think of. Bottom line: Big shoes to fill every year, unfair expectations, probably a story we should address down the road.

Auerbach: Kentucky's point guard situation gained a lot of attention Tuesday in Atlanta. Calipari compared Archie Goodwin's first game at the point to his early experiences with Tyreke Evans. Does that mean Cal wants to see Goodwin stay at the point? Or hope that Ryan Harrow gets healthy quickly (flu-like illness...could it be mono?)? There are so many questions there, and as Eric said, the talent on last year's squad made up for whatever weaknesses anyone, including the team's point guard, had. This year, that may not be the case. As we saw Tuesday, these freshmen need to get better and grow together as a team. That's hard without a point guard so the 'Cats are going to need to figure this out soon. Harrow's illness -- and the uncertainty surrounding it -- makes that extremely difficult.

@tubaladd: Who do you like in Maui next week? Please say Marquette

Prisbell: First off, the best event I ever covered was the 2005 Maui Invitational. Sun, beaches and basketball --- good basketball played early in the day in a cramped gymnasium laden with NBA scouts and flowered shirts. But I digress. I just studied the bracket: Butler will win the thing. It's crazy to call a team that reached the national title game in two of the past three years a sleeper, but Stevens has a team that can shake things up again this season. I expect at least two wins over BCS conference teams in this from Butler, if they don't win this thing outright. Does the bulldog get to go to Maui? Not fair to the dog if it doesn't. #vacationtime (I'm a huge believer in Buzz Williams and the football-like team he had last season. But I'm taking a cautious approach with them this season.)

Auerbach: I'm not sold on Butler after their loss to Xavier the other day. The Musketeers lost a LOT, and they still beat the Bulldogs handily. The Maui field this year isn't overwhelming, so I suppose any of these teams could get on a little run and win it. I do like Marquette and UNC, though, so I'd love to see them face each other in the semifinals. It'd be a great measuring-stick game for both teams.

@jameezy9: will #Duke bounce back from the lehigh lost and make it past the first rd this year?

Prisbell: Yes, Duke bounces back and wins at least one NCAA tournament game. I'm not basing that on the UK victory, though that will be a strong RPI boost for Duke and the rest of the top-heavy ACC all season, resulting in a strong seed for the Blue Devils. Those who picked NC State to win this league maybe weren't thinking straight. Just kidding. I picked State and will stick with it. But I like this Duke team more than most in recent year. I'm basing a stronger tourney projection on the fact that Duke is unlikely to draw a team led by a sensation like CJ in the first round. Maybe they could face a Wolters or Tony Mitchell, but neither of those teams is strong enough overall to topple K-Ville. Nicole is hoping CJ gets a return date with Duke because she wants to write CJ's book.

Auerbach: Duke players have been saying for months that they need to improve defensively. They couldn't stop a guy like CJ McCollum, and they said that shouldn't happen again. It's good they are going to focus on defense in practice and emphasize the importance of that (too many teams try to outscore opponents instead of making stops). And Duke's win over Kentucky showed the rest of the ACC that the Blue Devils are still the team to beat in the conference. I poked fun at Eric for picking NC State to win the ACC because Duke's experience and talent level make it a very, very solid team this season. I'd be shocked if the Blue Devils lost in the first round again. You can bet they won't overlook whichever team they face after what happened last year.

@ConnorPelton128: Is rebounding the only thing holding oregon state back from an NCAA bid?

Prisbell: Rebounding is one of the major things holding Oregon State back from an NCAA tournament berth and from realistically contending near the top of an improved Pac-12. But another one is the Beavers' ability to win close games. They were 2-6 last season in conference games alone in contests decided by either five points or fewer or in overtime. Craig Robinson inherited a wreck and has been an almost annual visitor to the CBI. Time to take the next step. But the President's brother-in-law's seat can't really be getting warm, can it?

Auerbach: I think Eric covered all the bases here. I also think a quick fix would be getting President Obama to get on the recruiting trail for Robinson. He can't be THAT busy, right? A few calls here or there could nab Oregon State some talent! (Kidding, by the way.)

@IAmBigTimeBeau: Which Mountain West team will go further in the NCAA Tournament? San Diego State or UNLV?

Prisbell: Both MWC teams are easily good enough to reach the Sweet 16. After that it gets tricky. But having watched UNLV practice and play in person, I will say this: I love the elite athleticism and dominant front court UNLV possesses. Personally, I take a wait-and-see attitude with their depth. But UNLV, when Birch is eligible, will clearly have one of the nation's most imposing front courts. I have UNLV traveling to Atlanta in the Final Four. I was in the drivers' seat of Steve Fisher's bandwagon two years ago and they broke my heart in Phoenix.

Auerbach: Both teams will be Top 25 teams all season in my mind. But I've got to pick UNLV here. I loved Mike Moser last season, and I'm really excited for another big year for him. I think there's a lot of talent on this team, and though it didn't carry the Rebels through last year's tournament (losing to a Pac-12 team?! really?!) it will help them a lot this year.

@ArunDas: After MSU's win over KU, do you think they can get back to ATL for the final four with Dawson/Harris/Appling?

Prisbell: In a nod to the great mind of Seth Greenberg, I would have to be certifiably insane to pick against a man named Tom Izzo in March. So what, Michigan State loses its first game against UConn 12,000 miles away? … guess what, Izzo has everyone right where he wants them. This team will only get stronger, tougher as the season wears on. They are playing in the nation's strongest conference, a league that has a real chance to send three teams to the Final Four. And Dawson/Harris/Appling is the trio that could very easily give Izzo yet another Final Four appearance. Count Izzo out at one's own peril.

Auerbach: I wrote after Michigan State's win that Izzo got the Spartans back on track quickly after a disappointing loss to UConn in Germany. He always gets his team to play better and smarter as the season goes on, so we shouldn't have been too surprised that it's already happening. I really like the way Keith Appling stepped up with the game on the line -- something this team needs after losing the great on- and off-court leadership of Draymond Green -- and I was impressed by freshman Gary Harris. Think we'll be hearing a lot about him throughout the season. I did pick Michigan State to reach the Final Four because I believe two Big Ten teams will get there and, boy, it's hard to pick against Izzo.