CHAMPAIGN – Listen closely. From his office in Huff – you can call it Huff Hall; it'll always be Huff Gym to me – the ghost of Harry Combes beckons: "Come on over. The water is fine."

No, Harry, for some very complicated reasons, the UI just missed a nostalgic opportunity of grand proportions. With the Assembly Hall occupied by the marvelous Cirque du Soleil this week (seven shows), Huff stood as the only alternative for Illinois to host Stony Brook in the NIT ... as opposed to traveling to Long Island, N.Y.

CHAMPAIGN – In trying to pinpoint exactly how Illinois missed the NCAA tournament again, for the second time in three seasons, you can look near and far.

There were split-second decisions against Utah in November and Ohio State in March. Utah hit a buzzer beater that served as one of the bad losses on the Illini resume. Ohio State escaped partly because Illinois couldn't get off a last-second shot – in regulation and in overtime – on Saturday.

Team to beat:

Kentucky

Team to beat: Villanova

Yes, we understand that Duke is the top seed. And that it just won the ACC. And that it has a trio of talented scorers. But something doesn't quite feel right about the Blue Devils. Maybe the home loss to Georgetown was a sign of trouble. Or the bad game at North Carolina State. Whatever, we aren't going with Duke, which leads to Plan V(illanova). The Wildcats lost a close game to Marquette in the Big East quarters. After sitting through two bye days. Just a hunch it was rust that caused all of the problems. Six losses in the past 10 games was preceded by an 11-game winning streak. That's the Villanova team that will show up Thursday. Star Scottie Reynolds will make sure of it. Reynolds doesn't want the final memory of his great career to be an early NCAA flameout. He'll get enough help from Corey Fisher and Antonio Pena to take the Wildcats to Indianapolis.

Ohio State remains fifth, Purdue at No. 10

Coach gone after three seasons

Team to beat: Kansas State

First, you have to like the pairings. An easy first-round game against North Texas and a pair of teams (BYU and Florida) that aren't exactly rolling into the tournament for the second-rounder. Both the games will be in Oklahoma City, which isn't Manhattan, but close enough. Fiery Frank Martin (that's his real name) doesn't hide his feelings. The players feel comfortable enough with their coach to mock his tirades. It's clear that Martin has his guys on his side. He's got a pair of stars, Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente, to lead the way. And talented role players who happily fill in the gaps. Don't forget, three of the seven losses came against Kansas. They won't meet again until the semifinal.

Team to beat: Kansas

Did you see the Jayhawks during the tournament selection show? They looked like they had already won it. They aren't just the team to beat in the Midwest, they are the team to beat, period. Kansas toys with teams. They let them hang close for a while, then start playing at a different level. They've showed again and again that they don't panic. During the Big 12 title game, Kansas State would make a run and appear to be in a position to take the game. Then, somebody would make a big play. Two advantages Kansas has over every other team in the tournament: coaching and balance. There isn't anybody better than Bill Self. The former Illinois coach is a master motivator and a superior recruiter. Because he has already won a title, he is also extremely relaxed. Four Jayhawks average in double figures, led by Sherron Collins. Xavier Henry is among the best freshmen in the country. Cole Aldrich can dominate inside. We can't tell the Morris brothers apart, but they are both good. Tyrel Reed and Brady Morningstar would be stars at many other schools.