Nicole Auerbach and Eric Prisbell

USA TODAY Sports

The 2015 NCAA men's basketball Final Four won't tip off for 144 days.

But USA TODAY Sports college basketball reporters Nicole Auerbach and Eric Prisbell already have their eyes on the teams that we might see in Indianapolis in April:

Nicole's picks

Wisconsin: It's hard not to like the Badgers, for many reasons but especially this one: They have almost every single player back from last season's team, and last season's team reached the Final Four. The one difference this year, however, will be the bull's eye on the Badgers' backs. If anyone can handle that, it's a veteran-laden group like Wisconsin's.

Kentucky: It will be interesting to watch coach John Calipari attempt his two-platoon system, and it will be fascinating to see if all of the highly touted newcomers will buy in and be willing to sacrifice individual stats for team success. Calipari is the master of molding a team rich with on teen-agers expecting to stay on campus for just eight months before darting to the NBA.

Duke: Can the Blue Devils reverse the trend of Round of 64 exits with a squad led by a pair of likely one-and-dones in Jahlil Okafor and Tyus Jones? The Duke coaching staff thinks so, saying all preseason that this roster has a balanced makeup of both veterans and newcomers who understand their roles and importance on this team.

Arizona: This could be the year Sean Miller breaks through and leads a team to the Final Four. He has one of the program's most important players back in point guard T.J. McConnell. Brandon Ashley is back from his foot injury, and another impressive freshman class, headlined by Stanley Johnson, has been thrown into the mix.

Eric's picks

Kentucky: College basketball has not seen a team enter a season that looked this potent on paper since the UNC juggernaut of 2008-09. John Calipari has an embarrassment of riches in his frontcourt. His backcourt is formidable with the return of the Harrison twins. An undefeated season? No. A national title? Yes.

Wisconsin: Bo Ryan has made fundamentals cool in Madison. With all but one key player back, don't be surprised if the Badgers get a chance to avenge their national semifinal loss to Kentucky in another Final Four matchup. Sam Dekker and Frank Kaminsky are well-deserved All-American candidates. This is Ryan's best team yet.

Texas: Players still have a chip on their shoulder because this is largely the same group of guys that many people thought would wind up getting coach Rick Barnes fired. Didn't happen. With the addition of freshman Myles Turner, Texas has one of the nation's best frontcourts. Watch point guard Isaiah Taylor thrive.

Iowa State: That the Cyclones could lose two All-Americans — DeAndre Kane, Melvin Ejim — and remain in the hunt for the Final Four speaks to Fred Hoiberg's coaching acumen. No one exploits on-court mismatches better. Georges Niang is healthy and 25 pounds leaner. This could be Hoiberg's deepest team, going 10 deep.​