ESPN Counts Down Until March Madness

With a month until March Madness kicks off ESPN's Jason King takes a look at the season to this point.

Four reasons why John Calipari's youth movement will finally pay off at Kentucky

1. Center Anthony Davis is the most valuable player in the country. He's solid on the offensive end and, defensively, his presence forces opponents to completely alter their attack.

2. The Wildcats feature a nice blend of veterans to complement their freshmen. Doron Lamb, Terrence Jones and Darius Miller all played in the Final Four last season.

3. Once again, Calipari has taught his pups how to defend. The Wildcats lead the nation in defensive field goal percentage (35.8).

4. Odds. Kentucky had the best team in 2010 but lost in the Elite Eight. Last season it had the best team at the Final Four but couldn't beat Connecticut. Eventually Calipari has to win one, right?

Four reasons why John Calipari's youth movement will cause the Wildcats to come up short

1. The Wildcats haven't been tested enough -- at least not like they will be if they reach New Orleans. Vanderbilt and Florida have been disappointments in the SEC and Kansas was still green when the two teams faced off in November. The North Carolina win was nice, but that was at home.

2. Marquis Teague: The freshman point guard isn't as good as predecessors John Wall and Brandon Knight. Teague is getting better, but is he good enough to captain a national championship squad?

3. Kentucky's offense isn't always a thing of beauty, especially when the Wildcats are in the half court.

4. Youth. John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins and Eric Bledsoe let the big stage get to them two years ago. Knight, Jones and Lamb experienced the same thing as freshmen last season. Will the pressure get to Davis, Teague and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, too?

Four we'll see in New Orleans

1. Kentucky: The Wildcats appear to be on a different level than anyone else. They have height, length, speed and depth. They can score from long range or in the paint and they defend better than any team in the country. Although there are often exceptions, the teams that reach the Final Four are usually the teams with the best players -- and no one has better players than Kentucky.

2. Syracuse: The Orange may not boast a future NBA All-Star, but Syracuse does have a 10-deep roster that is loaded with experienced players such as Scoop Jardine, Brandon Triche and Kris Joseph. Having a Hall of Fame coach on the sideline certainly helps. Even in a down year for the Big East, going through conference play with only one loss is downright impressive. Syracuse is four wins away from accomplishing that feat.

3. North Carolina: The Tar Heels are the one team in the country that can match up with Kentucky's talent. Just like the Wildcats, North Carolina has three future lottery picks in its starting lineup with Harrison Barnes, Tyler Zeller and John Henson. The Tar Heels have been solid but have yet to reach their ceiling. If they do, they could -- and perhaps should -- win the NCAA title.

4. Michigan State: Picking a fourth team was difficult, so why not choose a school that has been to three of the past seven Final Fours? That's a credit to Spartans coach Tom Izzo, whose squad is currently tied for first in the Big Ten with Ohio State. Michigan State -- which ranks ninth in the nation in rebounding -- plays with a fighter's mentality, which can take you a long way in the NCAA tournament.