College basketball predictions: 2023-24 Final Four and National Champion picks

Final Four Pick: Kansas Jayhawks

There are few teams better equipped to make it to Glendale than Kansas, which has been a consensus selection on top of the preseason polls. The Jayhawks did lose Gradey Dick and Jalen Wilson to the NBA but Bill Self has re-loaded his team nicely, with the biggest move being the addition of center Hunter Dickinson from the transfer portal.

Most of Self's best teams at Kansas have had a dominant big man (think Joel Embiid, David McCormack on the 2022 title winner, and Thomas Robinson) and Dickinson fills that role perfectly. Dickinson's ability to dominate on the interior frees things up for Kansas to create elite spacing on the perimeter, making them a nightmare to try and defend on a given night.

The Jayhawks are also loaded with experience, headlined by grad players DaJuan Harris and Kevin McCullar, both of whom are among the top returners from last year's team. Self also managed to find two more grad transfers and three dynamic freshmen, giving them a valuable mix of talent and experience.

Few teams in the country will also be better prepared for the grind of March Madness than Kansas, which has to navigate the country's most rugged conference in the Big 12. All of those heavyweight matchups will prove valuable for Kansas as they return to the Final Four for the second time in three years.