College Basketball Preview: 5 Teams That Could Finally Make the Final Four

Two years ago, if I asked you, "How likely is it for Butler to make back-to-back trips to the NCAA Championship Game?" how would you have responded?

One year ago, if I asked you "What chance does Virginia Commonwealth have to make it to their first Final Four?" what would you have said?

My answers, even though I am a glass-half-full guy, would have been "not likely at all" and "zero."

The Final Four is the desired destination of D1 college basketball coaches and players around the country.

North Carolina has appeared in the Final Four more than any other program: 18 times. UCLA has been there 17 times, and Duke 15.

However, many programs have never won their way into the final two rounds of the NCAA tournament. BYU has been to the Dance more than any other college without making a single trip to the Final Four: 26 times.

In the upcoming season, which team or teams could possibly make their initial appearance in the 2012 Final Four?

Here are five programs that have at least some promise of making it to their first Final Four this year:

5. New Mexico

Drew Gordon is the kind of player that you can build a good team around.

He scores. He hits the boards. He blocks shots.

In other words, the 6'9", 245-lb transfer from UCLA fills up the box score.

Gordon is not, by any stretch of the imagination, the only option that the Lobos have.

Sophomore guard Kendall Williams (6'3", 170 lbs) had a quality first season, averaging 11.6 points, four assists and three rebounds per game.

Another guard, Phillip McDonald, can put points on the board (10.9 per game) and grab his share of boards (4.3).

And, New Mexico has an outstanding recruiting class coming to Albuquerque.

Head coach Steve Alford is 98-39 since coming to UNM in 2007, with two Mountain West titles to his credit.

New Mexico has made 12 NCAA tournament appearances without making it once to the Final Four.

Could this be the year that Alford catches Lobo-lightning in a bottle, and takes his team to New Orleans? 

4. Gonzaga

Any season that Mark Few is coaching the Bulldogs is a year that anything can happen for Gonzaga.

Few has led the Zags to 11 straight West Coast Conference regular-season titles and nine WCC Tournament Championships since 2000.

The Bulldogs have made it to the NCAA tournament in all 12 seasons that he has been the head coach at Gonzaga, making four trips to the Sweet Sixteen. That's impressive!

The 2011-12 Zags return all of their players (except Steven Gray and Demetri Goodson) off of a talented team that went 25-10 a year ago.

Ten players averaged at least double-figure minutes last season.

With Robert Sacre (7'0", 260 lbs; 12.5 points, 6.3 rebounds per game) and Elias Harris (6'7", 245 lbs;12.4 points, six rebounds per game) back on the court again, Gonzaga has one of the best frontcourt tandems in the country.

On top of all of this depth and talent, Few brought in an excellent recruiting class that includes 4-star guards Gary Bell, Jr. and Kevin Pangos.

After 14 prior trips to the tournament, could Gonzaga finally leap forward into the 2012 Final Four?

3. Alabama

If defense wins championships, then Anthony Grant's group has a shot at making a deep run in the NCAA tournament this year.

Last season, Alabama was one of the most stingy defenses in the country:

• No. 5 in field-goal defense—38.6 percent
• No. 5 in steals per game—9.5 steals
• No. 8 scoring defense—59.4 points per game

The Crimson Tide are ready to roll this year with a talented, top-scoring trio returning.

JaMychal Green (15.5 PPG 7.5 RPG 2.1 BPG) has trained all summer and played with Team USA in the World University Games.

Tony Mitchell (15.2 PPG 7.1 RPG 1.6 SPG) brings athleticism to the wing.

Freshman point guard Trevor Releford (11 PPG 3.3 RPG 3.4 APG 1.6 SPG) skillfully ran the show.

Grant not only has talent returning, he pulled off a huge recruiting coup, bringing in an exceptional recruiting class featuring elite-level guards Levi Randolph and Trevor Lacey, and fantastic forwards Nick Jacobs and Rodney Cooper.

The Tide proved that they had what it takes last season when they beat Kentucky in Tuscaloosa.

Now can they build off of last year's successes and go where the program has never been before?

Stay tuned! Maybe after 19 times of coming up short, the Crimson Tide will make the trip to the Big Easy this March.

2. Missouri

2010-11 was a tale of two seasons for the Missouri Tigers.

Through late February, they were a tough-as-nails team, winning 22 of their first 28 games.

And then, it was as if the Tigers' tank was empty, and they limped through their remaining schedule losing five of six contests.

After gaining valuable experience last year, the good news for Mizzou is that they will be back with a veteran ballclub ready to take on the Big 12 and the world.

Marcus Denmon (16.9 PPG 3.5 RPG 1.8 SPG), as good as any guard in the conference, has been sharpening his game by practicing with and playing for Team USA this summer.

Michael Dixon (10.3 PPG 3.5 APG 1.8 SPG) and Kim English (10 PPG 3.1 RPG 2 APG) help give the Tigers a lethal backcourt.

Laurence Bowers (11.6 PPG 6.1 RPG 1.8 BPG) and Ricardo Ratliffe (10.6 PPG 6 RPG 1.3 BPG) are ready to anchor the Tigers frontcourt.

It is surprising, recognizing the success that the Missouri program has had over the years, that they have never advanced to the Final Four in 24 tries.

Missouri's first-year head coach Frank Haith has the pieces in place to make a serious run at getting the Tigers to NOLA.

1. Vanderbilt

Of all of the D1 teams that have never made it to the Final Four, Vanderbilt has the best shot at getting there this season after not doing so in 12 previous NCAA tournament appearances.

The Commodores bring excellent talent, major depth and substantial experience into 2011-12.

Vandy (23-11; 9-7 SEC) returns all nine players that logged at least double-figure minutes last season.

John Jenkins, last year's SEC leading scorer at 19.5 points per game, is back after ballin' with Team USA in this summer's World University Games.

Brad Tinsley, last year's SEC assist leader (4.5 assists per game), returns to run the show.

Festus Ezeli, one of the most underrated interior players in the nation (6'11", 255 lbs; 13 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.6 blocks per game), is ready to bring it.

Jeffrey Taylor (14.7 PPG 5.5 RPG 2.4 APG) rounds things out for what could be the best team in school history.

And that's before you add an outstanding recruiting class to the mix.

Vandy head coach Kevin Stallings has made it to the Sweet Sixteen twice since coming to Nashville.

The Final Four in N'awlins could be callin' the Commodores this March.