by Jason Haskins

Created on: February 22, 2007   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

Everyone start dancing.

It's approaching that time of year again for college basketball. The time of year where the top teams are honing their skills, the mid-level teams are playing to stay alive, and one lucky team is on the search for the perfect pair of glass slippers. That's right, March Madness is fast approaching and with that, a short article on the top four teams right now, plus two sleeper picks that can't be ignored. In no particular order, here are four teams to look out for come crunch time.

FLORIDA- Last year's national champs have been playing at a high level all year. Before last week's loss to Vanderbilt, the Gators had won 17 games in a row. They have all five starters back from last year and can play with any team in the nation. They have even demonstrated that they can come from behind and win. That could also be this team's downfall. Sure, they have the talent to let themselves get down by 15 or more and come back, but come tourney time, that strategy may not work as well. This Gators team needs to realize that soon or they may be sent packing early come this March.

OHIO ST- Fabulous freshman Greg Oden leads this talented bunch of players. The Buckeyes play consistently good defense and the Big Ten is slightly better than in years past. If they can get past Wisconsin, then look for them to get on a roll heading into the tourney. Inexperience may be their downfall, but as for now, this team is playing some of the best basketball in the land.

UCLA- Currently ranked fourth, the Bruins have played consistent basketball throughout the year. Ben Howland has this team playing excellent defense and they currently sit atop the PAC-10 standings. Don't forget, the Bruins made it to the National Championship game last year with pretty much the same squad. Tournament time usually revolves around some better defense and this shouldn't be a problem for the Bruins. They need to get some scoring from some role players if they want to go far, especially if Arron Afflalo or Josh Ship aren't on the top of their games.

NORTH CAROLINA- The Tar Heels were many writers preseason favorites to win it all and not much has changed. They have lost a few games this year, but they play in the very difficult ACC. Tyler Hansbrough is one of the top players in the nation and averaging 18.6 points and 7.7 rebounds a game, but there have been a few times he has gone through dry spells this year. While most of the time this talent laden squad can fight through these spells, it is tough to win games in the tournament when your star player disappears for stretches. No matter the case, Roy Williams always has his team ready to play.

Okay, onto the two teams that could make some noise come March. Nevada is ranked number ten and their record may seem deceiving because of the competition in the WAC, but Nick Fazekas has enough talent to win a few games on his own. The Duke Blue Devils may have fell out of the rankings for a week and had a four game losing streak, but this team could make a run if they keep playing at the high level they have been. They have had one of the top five toughest schedules this year and that could pay off come tourney time.

Whatever the case, as always, my bracket will be destroyed by the second week because some team like George Mason comes along and just doesn't want to leave the dance. They may ruin things for everyone but it is still fun nonetheless.

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