With December underway and winter sports season heating up, we thought it’d be a good time for a small writer’s roundtable. It’s a simple question. Other than No. 1 Duke, which men’s college basketball team has the best chance to make a run to the finals this March? Hit the jump for our answers and explanations.

Danny Breslauer

It’s pretty clear that Ohio State has the second most balanced team in the country (behind Duke) and could make a run at the finals. I completely understand the argument that teams with young stars have a tough time navigating their way through the NCAA Tournament, but there’s something about the composure the Buckeyes have shown in the early season that has impressed me.

While the win may not look as résumé-worthy after recent results, Ohio State’s dominating road win against Florida is one that sticks out so far. Thad Matta’s Buckeyes can win games by scoring 93 points in Gainesville or holding Florida State to 44 points in a grind-it-out victory.

Yes, OSU’s best player may be the 6-foot-9, 280-pound freshman Jared Sullinger, but this is a team with three seniors who receive significant minutes. Between the guard play of David Lighty and Jon Diebler and the veteran presence underneath of Dallas Lauderdale, you can allow a talented player like junior guard William Buford to fly under the radar.

This is a team with too many weapons to match up with, a Top 30 ranking in both assists per game and field goal percentage and the ability to win in many different ways. Watch out for the No. 2 Buckeyes to make a deep run in March Madness and potentially challenge Duke for the title when it’s all said and done.

Kyle Franko

While Duke is clearly head and shoulders above the rest of the country right now having beat Kansas St. and Michigan St., I still like the Wildcats to reach the Final Four.

When Duke and K-State met last month Jacob Pullen was held to four points on 1 for 12 shooting in 30 minutes, and as much credit as the Blue Devils deserve I don’t see many repeat performances like that in Pullen’s future. The Wildcats have also got a good start from Rodney McGruder (11.3 ppg and team-best 6.6 rpg) which is a contribution they are going to need because there are going to be nights when Pullen needs help.

While I think the 14-point loss to Duke slightly flattered the Blue Devils (Pullen wouldn’t have another game like that if the two met again) we are going to learn a little bit more about the Wildcats and their supporting cast before the New Year. While the first meeting with Kansas doesn’t come until Jan. 29, K-State faces a tough trip to Washington St. Dec. 3 and another roady to Florida Dec. 18. The tough part of the non-conference ends with a home date against mega-sleeper UNLV. Have you seen the Runnin’ Rebels this season (wins over Wisconsin and Virginia Tech); they had me thinking about putting them in this spot.

If there’s one thing we do know about Pullen, it’s that he can put this team on his back and carry it. He did it all the way to the Elite Eight last season and if he can continue to get help from McGruder and Jamar Samuels (8.8 ppg, 5.8 rpg) can stay on the floor and out of foul trouble, the Wildcats have a great chance of reaching the Final Four.

Eddie Wahrman

While arguments can be made for many teams, the one team to be feared when March comes around is the Kansas Jayhawks. The Jayhawks have one of the best coaching staffs in the nation led by Bill Self. A great recruiter and game coach, Self has the potential to put a better team together this year, despite the loss of first round draft picks Cole Aldrich and Xavier Henry.

As far as newcomers go, reports are that Josh Selby is better than advertised. Selby was rated the number one high school player in the country according to Rivals.com in 2010. The freshman will make his first appearance as a Jayhawk in late December.

In addition to Selby, Kansas returns a slew of veterans. Marcus and Markieff Morris are forces underneath averaging over 30 points a game combined. Marcus will likely be in the running for the Big-12 player of the year. On the perimeter, Tyshawn Taylor has been terrific thus far averaging over seven assists per contest. Taylor is a big reason why Kansas leads the nation in assists. Not only do they lead the nation in assists, the Jayhawks also lead in field goal percentage (57.8%) and assist to turnover ratio (1.94). The Jayhawks will be contenders for the National Championship.