DAYTON
Nickname: Flyers
Conference: Atlantic 10
Location: Dayton, Ohio
2008-09 record (post-season result): 27-8 (NCAA 2^nd round)

Dayton returns four starters and 10 of its top 11 scorers from last year's 27-8 team that reached the NCAA second round. The Flyer returnees include all four players who earned Atlantic 10 postseason honors in 2008-09: Chris Wright, Marcus Johnson, London Warren and Chris Johnson. Wright, who was also First Team NABC All-District, led UD in scoring (13.3) and rebounding (6.6), and set a school single-season record for dunks (54). Coach Brian Gregory’s teams have won two in-season tournament championships: the 2003 Maui Invitational and the 2008 Chicago Invitational Challenge.

GEORGE MASON
Nickname: Patriots
Conference: Colonial Athletic Association
Location: Fairfax, Va.
2008-09 record (post-season result): 22-11 (NIT 1^st round)

George Mason has 90 wins the last four seasons, the most victories in a four-year stretch in school history. Last season’s team finished second in the CAA and lost in conference championship to Virginia Commonwealth. The Patriots then fell in the opening round of the NIT to eventual champion Penn State. In 12 years at George Mason, Jim Larranaga has amassed a 229-141 record, making him the all-time wins leader at the school and in the CAA. Larranaga’s teams have posted winning records in conference and overall in 11 straight seasons.

GEORGIA TECH
Nickname: Yellow Jackets
Conference: ACC
Location: Atlanta, Ga.
2008-09 record: 12-19

Georgia Tech’s 2008-09 season included nine losses by five or fewer points, three of those in overtime. The season ended with a 64-62 defeat to Florida State in the first round of the ACC Tournament. The Yellow Jackets have been absent from the post-season for consecutive years for the first time since a 12-year drought from 1972-83. Coach Paul Hewitt begins his 10^th season with Georgia Tech. The team’s last in-season tournament was also outside the continental U.S., going 2-1 in the 2007 Paradise Jam (St. Thomas, Virgin Islands).

INDIANA
Nickname: Hoosiers
Conference: Big Ten
Location: Bloomington, Ind.
2008-09 record: 6-25

Tom Crean’s first season as coach featured the toughest regular season schedule in the nation, according to the Jeff Sagarin ratings. The young roster saw true freshmen account for more than two-thirds of the team’s minutes played and scoring during the season. A top-10 rated recruiting class assures that trend should continue, this time with better results. The storied Hoosiers own 20 Big Ten championships and five national titles. Crean has the credentials to return the team to such heights, having guided Marquette to the post-season in eight of nine years before moving to IU.

KANSAS STATE
Nickname: Wildcats
Conference: Big 12
Location: Manhattan, Kan.
2008-09 record (post-season result): 22-12 (NIT 2^nd round)

The Wildcats advanced to the post-season for the third straight year, beating Illinois State in the NIT first round before falling to San Diego State. The team has now posted three consecutive 20-win seasons for the first time in over 25 years. Kansas State’s 9-7 conference record represented the second highest win total in the Big 12 era. Guard Denis Clemente earned conference newcomer of the year honors. Coach Frank Martin begins his third season with the Wildcats, boasting a 43-24 overall record (19-13 in Big 12 play).

OLE MISS
Nickname: Rebels
Conference: SEC
Location: Oxford, Miss.
2008-09 record: 16-15

Ole Miss produced its third consecutive winning season under coach Andy Kennedy. The team had finished below .500 in the four previous campaigns before Kennedy was hired. Guard Terrico White was named SEC freshman of the year after finishing fourth in the conference in scoring (18.4) and second in three pointers per game (2.9). Both figures were best among SEC freshmen. The Rebels were 3-0 in their last trip to Puerto Rico, winning the 2007 San Juan Shootout.

VILLANOVA
Nickname: Wildcats
Conference: BIG EAST
Location: Villanova, Pa.
2008-09 record (post-season result): 30-8 (NCAA Final Four)

Villanova made its fourth appearance in the Final Four last season, its first since winning the national championship in 1985. The Wildcats eliminated American, UCLA, Duke and Pittsburgh before falling to eventual NCAA champion North Carolina in the national semifinals in Detroit. Villanova has made five straight NCAA appearances, the second longest streak in school history. The team won a school record 30 games and now has five consecutive 20-win seasons for the first time ever. Coach Jay Wright notched his 300^th career win in the East Regional final against Pitt.