"Rock. Chalk. Championship!"

Kansas' 75-68 victory against Memphis in the national title game was one of the best I've ever seen. The Jayhawks' stifling defense, Derrick Rose's spectacular second-half play and Memphis' inevitable collapse at the free-throw line combined to make one helluva storybook finish.

But where do we go now? There are so many questions to be asked, thankfully, there is plenty of time to answer them. 'Til then, I'll answer my own three burning questions.

1. Where does Bill Self end up? Coach Self obviously gives a sh!t about Oklahoma State, or he would flat out tell the Cowboys and their billionaire alumni to shove it and find another coach. Instead, the rumor mill is a-runnin' wild with scenarios where Self ends up in Stillwater leaving his so-called "dream job" days after a national title. A move like that could set up another chain reaction like in 2003 that saw KU, UNC, Illinois and Southern Illinois swap coaches in one way or another.
2. Can the Tar Heels make the next step? I'm not the only one who believes that UNC will enter the 2008-09 season as the No. 1 team in the country. Not only will the Heels return everyone except back-up point guard Quentin Thomas, they will also welcome three Top-100 recruits. UCONN, UCLA, USC and Florida round out the rest of my early pre-season Top-5.
3. What about the Dawgs? An 18-win season is considered a disappointment in Saluki country, but an improvement is just beyond the horizon (especially if they can retain coach Chris Lowery.) SIU brings in a top-notch recruiting class including the best player in Illinois (point guard Kevin Dillard) and two of the best players in the Show-Me State (power forward Anthony Booker and shooting guard Torres Roundtree). The Salukis also have untapped potential in guards Brandon Wood and Justin Bocot, along with the possibility of adding a transfer student (can anyone say Ben Hansbrough???)

And finally, the best part of the tourney is 'One Shining Moment'..no ifs ands or buts about it!