"NCAA tournament preview part I: criteria for success"

Well, we have finally reached Selection Sunday, the second biggest sports Sunday of the year for most sports fans (and the biggest if you don't follow professional football). The bracket is out, and it is STACKED. There are several teams in each region capable of making the Final Four. And there is a good pool of teams capable of taking home the championship.

I am just about prepared to throw my reputation as a "knowledgeable" hoops aficionado on the line, but before I make my picks, let me give you a few characteristics that I will look for in teams to determine whether they can go far in the tournament. Of course a game's outcome will always depend on the matchups between the two teams - and a little luck - but teams with these attributes, I believe, will have the best chance of doing some damage late into March.

1. Have a go-to guy
As much as I love a balanced team (and more about that in a second), a team that wants to go deep into the tournament has to know who is going to have the ball in their hands come crunch time. That player doesn't necessarily have to take the big shot, but he has to be able to make plays when they're needed most - whether it's hitting the game-winner or penetrating and dishing off to someone else.
- To name a few: Acie Law (Texas A&M); Mike Conley Jr. (Ohio State); Chris Lofton (Tennessee).

2. Have offensive balance
This is the biggest reason Wisconsin, the No. 2 seed in the Midwest, won't make it to the Final Four. Whenever Alando Tucker, the Badgers' player of the year candidate, has a bad game, they usually lose. Teams need to have several options on offense; different guys who can step up at various times. Teams especially need an inside-outside threat. That's why Ohio State is so dangerous with Conley and Greg Oden down low. Ditto Texas with Kevin Durant and D.J. Augustin and A.J. Abrams.

3. Have a very solid point guard
It was obvious today, when watching the Big 12 championship game, that Texas was a completely different team without Augustin on the floor. Durant didn't get the ball. The offense had no flow. Every team will play hard-nosed defense with great effort during the NCAA tournament. A successful team will need an experienced point guard to calm down his teammates during critical situations and run the offense like it's supposed to be run. A team without an experienced or precocious point guard during the tournament isn't going past the Sweet 16.
- To name a few: Taurean Green (Florida); Aaron Brooks (Oregon); Darren Collison (UCLA).

4. Shoot free throws well
No matter how good a team is, more than likely it will find itself in a NCAA tournament game where it needs to convert free throws in the final minutes to pull out the victory. Teams don't necessarily need to be good as a whole shooting free throws, but they need to have at least three excellent free throw shooters who will be in the game at crunch time.
- To name a few teams: Gonzaga, Nevada, Oregon (I promise, there's no West Coast Bias here).

5. Have a shot-blocker
Look at each of the past five national champions. Maryland (2002) had Lonny Baxter and Chris Wilcox; Syracuse (2003) had Hakim Warrick - remember that block to seal the national title game?; Connecticut (2004) had Emeka Okafor; North Carolina (2005) had Sean May; and last year? Well, Joakim Noah set an NCAA tournament record for blocks. A shot-blocker is super important during the tournament because teams who face off normally aren't that familiar with each other, so a player can surprise the opponent with his ability to swat shots.
- To name a few: Oden (Ohio State), Durant (Texas), Steven Hill (Arkansas), Noah (Florida).

6. Finally, get on a hot streak
This, ultimately, is the most important factor in who ends up dancing on the first Monday night of April. This is what propelled Florida to its first championship a year ago. If a talented team comes together and plays their best basketball of the season over the course of three weeks, watch out. Conversely, if a talented team doesn't show up for a game, its season could be over. Just like that. The bottom line is, the teams that are able to stay focused for each game - no matter the opponent - and play the most consistently have the best chance of moving on. One lapse, and you can start talking about next year.

With that said, let's get ready for tourney time. I'll say it every year - but even more so this time around. Anything is possible come Thursday.