As the 2012-13 season counts down, nine ESPN college basketball analysts weighed in with their conference predictions for the ACC, BIG EAST, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC as well as their picks for the Final Four. Highlights:
- While some varied their picks for conference champions and the Final Four, all nine analysts selected Louisville for the BIG EAST and Kansas for the Big 12 titles.
- Arizona was the overwhelming favorite out of the Pac-12 with eight overall picks. Sean Farnham was the only dissenting vote, taking UCLA to win the conference.
- Defending national champion Kentucky garnered the most picks for the SEC title with five, while Florida received three, and Missouri, one.
- Overall, each analyst predicts a different combination of Final Four teams with Indiana and Louisville being the most popular combination with six.
- Eight of the nine analysts predicted Louisville would reach the Final Four with Indiana coming in second as the most common pick at six.
- Other Final Four picks: Kansas with five; Florida with three; Kentucky, Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State and Gonzaga at two each; and Arizona, Missouri, NC State and UNLV one apiece.
ESPN.com is offering an extensive college basketball preview with additional predictions, reports, analysis, features and more.
ESPN’s 2012-13 men’s college basketball schedule on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3, ESPN Regional Television and ESPN FULL COURT will feature more than 1,450 games.
ESPN Analysts College Basketball Preseason Picks
| Analyst | ACC | BIG EAST | Big Ten | Big 12 | Pac-12 | SEC | Final Four |
| Dick Vitale | NC State | Louisville | Indiana | Kansas | Arizona | Kentucky | Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville & Ohio State |
| Jay Bilas | NC State | Louisville | Indiana | Kansas | Arizona | Kentucky | Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky & Louisville |
| Fran Fraschilla | North Carolina | Louisville | Indiana | Kansas | Arizona | Missouri | Indiana, Kansas, Louisville & Missouri |
| Jimmy Dykes | NC State | Louisville | Indiana | Kansas | Arizona | Kentucky | Indiana, Louisville, Michigan & NC State |
| Andy Katz | NC State | Louisville | Michigan State | Kansas | Arizona | Florida | Florida, Kansas, Louisville & Michigan State |
| Seth Greenberg | Duke | Louisville | Michigan State | Kansas | Arizona | Kentucky | Gonzaga, Kansas, Louisville & Michigan State |
| Stephen Bardo | NC State | Louisville | Michigan | Kansas | Arizona | Florida | Florida, Kansas, Ohio State & UNLV |
| Bruce Pearl | NC State | Louisville | Indiana | Kansas | Arizona | Florida | Arizona, Florida, Indiana & Louisville |
| Sean Farnham | NC State | Louisville | Indiana | Kansas | UCLA | Kentucky | Gonzaga, Indiana, Louisville & Michigan |
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