Louisville's 2013-14 title hopes took a hit when Russ Smith announced he's turning pro. (Getty Images)

All the confetti on the floor at the Georgia Dome hadn't even been picked up yet Monday night when speculation about next year's college basketball season began.

Will Kentucky go from the NIT to preseason No. 1? Can Louisville defend its title? How good can Arizona and Marquette be?

It's too early to answer most of those questions since some top recruits haven't chosen a school, transfer season is only beginning and we don't know which NBA draft prospects are staying in school and which will leave. Nonetheless, based on my best guesses for who's staying and who's going, here's a look at a very early top 10 for the 2013-14 season, along with 15 others worth watching.

1. KENTUCKY
Key losses: G Julius Mays (graduating), G Ryan Harrow (transferring), C Nerlens Noel (projected to enter NBA draft), G Archie Goodwin (entering NBA draft)
Key returners: F Alex Poythress, C Willie Cauley-Stein, F Kyle Wiltjer
Notable newcomers: F Julius Randle, G Andrew Harrison, G Aaron Harrison, F James Young, C Dakari Johnson, F Marcus Lee
Why they're too high: If the 2011-12 Wildcats proved it was possible to win a championship with a freshman-heavy roster, then the 2012-13 version also showed talent won't translate into victories if the chemistry, work ethic and willingness to sacrifice isn't also there. Next season's Kentucky team has all the talent needed to contend for a championship, but they'll have to jell in a way this season's team never did.
Why they're too low: Well, Kentucky can't start the season any higher than preseason No. 1, but its roster can get deeper and better if No. 1 overall recruit Andrew Wiggins selects the Wildcats over Florida State, Kansas and North Carolina. That would give the Wildcats the No. 1 player at every position in the Class of 2013 to go with a couple other key recruits and three talented returners.

ATLANTA — Months before he became a lifelong Louisville legend this weekend, Luke Hancock's teammates had an inkling he was special.

Two players showed up late to one of the first days of offseason weight training Hancock participated in at Louisville. Undeterred by his status as the newest player on the team, the George Mason transfer confronted his teammates and told them firmly they needed to be on time in the future.

"The new guy yelling at somebody? That's crazy," Louisville guard Michael Baffour said. "You don't come into a situation where you don't know anybody and say things like that. He really displayed his leadership there."

Hancock led Louisville this season with both his words and play as he proved under difficult circumstances in Atlanta. With his gravely ill 70-year-old father in the Georgia Dome stands watching him play for maybe the final time in person, Hancock delivered the two greatest games of his life, becoming the first non-starter to earn Most Outstanding Player at the Final Four in the process.

[Y! Sports Shop: Buy Louisville national champs merchandise]

Two nights after scoring 14 of his 20 points after halftime against Wichita State to spark a second-half Louisville rally from a 12-point deficit, Hancock again saved the Cardinals when they trailed Michigan by 12 in Monday night's title game. He turned momentum in Louisville's favor, burying four rapid-fire threes in the final three minutes of the first half to help the Cardinals pull within one by halftime and ultimately earn an 82-76 win.

Hancock came up big once more with the game on the line, knocking down a key 3-pointer to extend Louisville's lead to 10 with under four minutes to go and sinking two late free throws to finish with a team-high 22 points. Those buckets were a thrill for Hancock both because they helped secure Louisville's first championship since 1986 and because they came in front of his father.

ATLANTA — Two seconds still remained in Monday night's national title game when the party began.

As a sea of delirious red-clad Louisville fans pumped their fists, exchanged high-fives and raised their arms in victory, the Cardinals players and coaches did the same on the floor in celebration of a victory they had dreamed of since this time last year.

Three hundred seventy-three days after its unexpected Final Four run came crashing to a halt against a superior Kentucky team last March, Louisville experienced the same joy its rival had at the Cardinals' expense. Behind 22 points from Luke Hancock, 18 from Peyton Siva and 15 from Chane Behanan, Louisville edged Michigan 82-76 in a scintillating national title game, delivering the school's third national championship and its first since 1986.

[Y! Sports Shop: Buy Louisville national champs merchandise]

"We came up short last year, but that drove us this season," Wayne Blackshear said. "All the hard work we went through this summer, the losing streak this season, it's all worth it because of this moment. This feeling right here, winning a national championship, it's indescribable."

If just getting to the Final Four for the first time in seven years made last season a clear-cut success for Louisville, the Cardinals faced greater pressure this March to finish the job. Not only did they return five of their top seven players from last season, they also entered the NCAA tournament as the No. 1 overall seed after catching fire in the second half of league play and rolling to the Big East tournament title.

Louisville won't be remembered as a dominant champion in the mold of a 2012 Kentucky or a 2009 North Carolina, but the Cardinals did not collapse under the burden of high expectations. They finished the season on a 16-game win streak after a five-overtime loss to Notre Dame in mid-February, a stretch that culminated with comeback victories over Wichita State and Michigan in Atlanta.

Spike Albrecht (Getty Images)

ATLANTA — The best thing that happened to Michigan in the first half of Monday night's NCAA title game was the national player of the year picking up two fouls in the opening nine minutes.

Once Trey Burke went to the bench, the Spike Albrecht show began.

Albrecht, a 5-foot-11 freshman who played sparingly behind Burke this season, erupted for 17 points in the first half of Monday's national title game to lead Michigan to a 38-37 halftime lead. The backup point guard did a little bit of everything, burying all four 3-pointers he attempted, blowing by Louisville defenders for layups and even fueling a fast break with an outlet pass thrown from his backside.

[Slideshow: Best action from NCAA championship]

When Albrecht scored his final basket of the half by using a hesitation dribble to shake Louisville's Tim Henderson for a driving layup, even the Michigan bench couldn't believe what they were seeing. They sprinted off the bench at the timeout and mobbed the unheralded freshman as he jogged off the floor with a huge grin on his face.

Louisville fans were no doubt typing Albrecht's name into their favorite search engines to figure out who was beating them because the freshman is far from a household name even in college hoops circles.

Appalachian State was the only Division I school interested enough in Albrecht to offer the Northfield Mt. Hermon Prep guard a scholarship until Michigan learned of him in March 2012. The Wolverines were desperate for a point guard because they feared Burke might turn pro after his freshman year, so they quickly offered Albrecht a scholarship and promised him a reserve role if Burke remained and the chance to compete for a starting gig if he left.

Russ Smith, Gorgui Dieng, Peyton Siva and Luke Hancock (Getty Images)

A is for Atlanta, which is hosting the Final Four for the fourth time. Marquette beat North Carolina for the national title in 1977, Maryland outclassed Indiana in 2002 and Florida defended its title against Ohio State in 2007.

B is for bloodlines, something Michigan has in abundance. Tim Hardway Jr. is the son of ex-NBA guard Tim Hardaway, Glenn Robinson III is the son of ex-Purdue star Glenn Robinson and Jon Horford is the son of ex-NBA player Tito Horford. All three Wolverines have thrived despite following in the footsteps of their father.

[Video: Tim Hardaway experiences son's joy]

C is for cutting down the nets, which Louisville will finally do if it wins Monday night's title game. The Cardinals have opted not to trim down the nets after winning the Big East tournament and advancing to the Final Four, a symbolic gesture meant to demonstrate they believe there is only one set of nets worth snipping.

D is for depth, which Louisville lacks at guard with Kevin Ware injured. Either Peyton Siva and Russ Smith are going to need to avoid foul trouble Monday night, or Louisville will have to get contributions from walk-on Tim Henderson for a second straight game.

E is for the early start John Beilein got scouting Louisville on Sunday morning. "I started at 5:45 this morning," Beilein said. "I didn't think they were fun because they give you so many looks. With a one-day prep, it's almost impossible to get ready for all of those things." Pitino had earlier called watching Michigan film "fun" because of the way the Wolverines cut, pass and shoot. As a coach going to play them, I really enjoy watching them on film," he said.

F is for the friendship between former prep school teammates Nik Stauskas and Russ Smith. They exchange texts frequently throughout the season, most recently after Stauskas sank six threes against Florida. "He texted me telling me I had a good game," Stauskas said. "I told him thanks and we'd see him in the finals."

(photo via @bradfnslagle)

Wichita State fans awoke Sunday morning to a classy gesture from the Shockers' coach.

Gregg Marshall, whose team fell to No. 1 overall seed Louisville in the Final Four on Saturday night, took out a full-page ad in Sunday's Wichita Eagle saluting Wichita State fans for their support. The ad reads "Thank You, Shocker Faithful" at the top with "WE KEEP MARCHING" underneath.

Wichita State fans were outnumbered both at the West Regional in Los Angeles and at the Georgia Dome on Saturday, but they made up for it by cheering louder than the crowd supporting any other team. The Shockers played in the national semifinals for the first time since 1965, becoming the fifth team seeded ninth or higher to reach a Final Four.

Rutgers president Robert L. Barchi addresses the behavior of ex-coach Mike Rice (Getty Images)

The more details that emerge from the Rutgers scandal, the uglier it seems to get for everyone involved.

It started with public outrage over video showing coach Mike Rice chucking balls at his players, kicking them and showering them with profanity and homophobic slurs. Next was the anger that athletic director Tim Pernetti had seen the video yet originally only suspended Rice for three games in December. And now comes news that even the whistleblower may have his hands dirty too.

The FBI is investigating whether former Rutgers director of basketball operations Eric Murdock tried to extort the university, the New York Times reported. In December, Murdock's lawyer reportedly sent a letter to Rutgers officials two weeks after Rice's initial suspension demanding $950,000, a sum that the university chose not to pay.

[Related: Tim Pernetti out as Rutgers athletic director]

When he did not receive any money, Murdock eventually shared dozens of hours of video of Rice's practices with ESPN's "Outside the Lines" and voiced his concerns over the abusive tactics of his former boss. The video has since resulted in the firing of Rice and Pernetti amid nationwide public outcry.

Murdock's apparent feud with Rutgers began after the 2012 season when the school chose not to renew his contract. The former Providence star has filed a wrongful-termination lawsuit against Rutgers claiming he was let go because of his concerns with Rice's abusive tactics, but the school denies that charge.

A boy in the crowd holds up a sign Saturday alluding to the infamous Chris Webber gaffe (Getty Images)

ATLANTA — When Michigan guard Spike Albrecht burned a timeout with 1:51 remaining in Saturday's game because he couldn't find an open teammate on an inbound play, the Wolverines suddenly found themselves in strangely familiar position.

They had no timeouts remaining in their first Final Four game since the infamous 1993 national title game.

"In the huddles and on the bench, we all looked at each-other and said, 'We have no timeouts. No timeouts,'" Michigan forward Jordan Morgan said. "We did not want to make that mistake again."

Most coaching staffs are careful to remind their players when they're out of timeouts since the penalty for calling one in that situation is a technical foul, but it's no surprise Michigan players and coaches were especially vigilant. Twenty years ago, Chris Webber cost the Fab Five the chance to win a championship when his timeout on Michigan's final possession in the 1993 national title game earned North Carolina two free throws and the ball.

"I made sure it was stressed in the timeout," Michigan's Nik Stauskas said. "Everyone was saying we had no timeouts left, so we made sure everyone was aware of it."