It is time to break down my picks for the Elite Eight going all the way to the national championship:

EAST

I see North Carolina and Louisville making it to the Elite Eight. Yes, I have Rick Pitino and the Cardinals knocking off Tennessee in the Sweet 16. The Tar Heels and Louisville should play a great game, but I feel Roy Williams has more firepower with Tyler Hansbrough and company. Ty Lawson looks like he is getting healthier and I have the Tar Heels going to the Final Four.

MIDWEST

Kansas and Georgetown are my choices to make it to the Elite Eight. I love the size of Roy Hibbert inside and Georgetown showed it can nail the trifecta by hitting 17 against Villanova in the Big East tournament. Jesse Sapp and Jonathan Wallace can be major factors. The Jayhawks won the Big 12 tournament and have some momentum. I am going with the Hoyas to make it to San Antonio.

SOUTH

I like the top two seeds to make it to an exciting regional final. John Calipari's Memphis Tigers have made it to the Elite Eight two straight years but fell short of the Final Four. Can Memphis make it a step further this season? I love the Texas backcourt of DJ Augustin and AJ Abrams. I also feel the Memphis free throw shooting is still a flaw. Rick Barnes and the Longhorns, a year removed from Kevin Durant, goes to a Final Four in their own state!

WEST

UCLA is a No. 1 seed for the first time since 1995; that season the Bruins cut down the nets in Seattle. Ben Howland's club is looking for its third consecutive Final Four trip. The letters D-U-K-E are in the bracket and Kyle Singler has to get back on track after struggling in the ACC tournament. I have the top two seeds advancing to the Elite Eight with the Bruins moving on.

FINAL FOUR

North Carolina and Georgetown meet in a rematch of last year's Elite Eight. Hansbrough and company get a measure of revenge and gets to the title game.

UCLA and Texas met earlier this season and the Longhorns got the W. It is a different story this time, even though the Bruins are a bit banged up.

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Two of the game's traditional powers meet on a special Monday night in San Antonio. I picked North Carolina to win it all before the season and I see no reason to change now. Hall of Fame coach Roy Williams has a team that finds ways to get to the winner's circle. Hansbrough finishes the season reaching all the goals – ACC regular-season champion, ACC tournament winner and national champion. There will be a great celebration on Franklin Street, baby!

Dick Vitale coached the Pistons and the University of Detroit before broadcasting ESPN's first college basketball game in December 1979. Send him a question for possible use on ESPNEWS.