Conference play has thankfully finally begun in earnest for college basketball.  That means many more high-profile match-ups and no more cupcakes and easy blowouts for elite teams.  Here is an early look at the teams you can expect to contend in the big conferences, and some sleeper teams to look out for.  (Stats and records are as of Jan. 6)

ACC
Favorite:  North Carolina
The Heels are loaded with talent, and are the No.1 team in the country to this point.  Guards Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington are terrific.  Lawson is ultra-quick and is the perfect player to lead the vaunted secondary break.  He has also improved his outside shot making him much more of a scoring threat.  Ellington is a deadly perimeter scorer (as evidenced by his game-winning three against Clemson), and is averaging 18 points per game.  Tyler Hansbrough of course is a consensus All-American, and he has played like it leading the league in both scoring (21.7 ppg) and rebounding (9.9 rpg).  Perhaps the only concern for this team is the injury to back-up point guard Bobby Frasor.  This will force Lawson to play more minutes, and Frasor was a very vocal leader for the Heels.  Forward Deon Thompson needs to step up his game inside and provide more support for Hansbrough.  His rebounding and defense will prove critical in the absence of Brandan Wright (now with the Golden State Warriors).

Contender:  Duke
Duke is 11-1 and ranked No.7 in the nation.  Anything less really would have to be considered a disappointment considering the Blue Devils have an incredible seven McDonald’s All-Americans on the roster.  The talent has been there for Duke in recent years, but the pieces just did not seem to fit.  This year the mix seems much better with Gerald Henderson taking a step forward in his second season in Durham.  A terrific freshman class, led by 6’9’’ Kyle Singler, has also injected a great of energy and ability into the lineup.  Singler is already the best player for Duke, and can do a little bit of everything.  The downfall for this team is likely the inside game as Singler is forced to play a lot of center in a small lineup.  Brian Zoubek and Lance Thomas need to provide more for the Devils if they want to seriously challenge in March.

Wild-card:  Clemson
The Tigers are once again off to a hot start at 12-2, and came oh-so-close to beating North Carolina.  They will be trying to avoid another late season collapse as the 2007 season must be weighing heavily on their minds.  Clemson started 17-0 a year ago, but finished just 4-10 down the stretch and missed out on an NCAA tournament bid.  That won’t happen again.  The Tigers are very solid led by the backcourt of Cliff Hammonds and K.C. Rivers.  Clemson plays great defense, has good balance, and will be a tough out come March.

Big 12
Favorite:  Kansas
The Jayhawks are extremely talented once again, ranking among the best teams in the nation both offensively and defensively.  Five players average double figures, but whether that is a product of good balance, or lack of a go-to player remains to be seen.  Brandon Rush came back earlier than expected from a knee injury, but he must be more assertive on offense and fulfill his potential.  Darrell Arthur has the ability to be dominant inside, but his desire to do so is still in question.  The true stars for this team are the diminutive backcourt players Mario Chalmers and Sherron Collins.  The pair is a true terror defensively, and play with heart and passion, two things Kansas needs more of in order to get over the hump and reach a Final Four.

Contender:  Texas
The Longhorns own the best true road win in college basketball beating UCLA at Pauley Pavillion.  They also lost two in a row to Michigan State and Wisconsin before struggling to beat TCU.  Guards A.J. Abrams and D.J. Augustin are terrific, but their penetration was stymied by a zone defense employed by TCU.  More teams in the future are certain to try similar defenses against Texas.  Damion James has really broken out in his sophomore season averaging 13.8 points and 10.8 rebounds despite playing mostly on the wing.  Being so perimeter oriented, Texas is prone to be up-and-down.  The return of freshman Gary Johnson should provide some more punch inside.

Wild card:  Texas A&M
Coach Billy Gillespie may have left, but the talent still remains in College Station.  The Aggies are 14-1, with the one loss being on the road at Arizona.  Veterans Josh Carter and Joseph Jones have been very solid, and Dominique Kirk has done an excellent job replacing Acie Law at point guard.  Freshman DeAndre Jordan is very raw, but is very talented.  He has the potential to be an absolute terror inside, and will more than likely be a top-10 selection in the NBA draft this season.  Jordan is averaging over 10 points and 7 rebounds in just 20 minutes per game, and he will only continue to get better making Texas A&M a real threat in the Big 12.

Big 10
Favorite:  Michigan State
The Spartans are back, and they proved it with a huge win over Texas.  They are 13-1 with the lone loss coming against UCLA in Kansas City.  Freshman Kalin Lucas has provided a spark in the backcourt next to stalwart Drew Neitzel.  Forward Raymar Morgan has become a star in his sophomore season averaging 18.4 points and 7.3 rebounds while shooting a blistering 59% from the field.  Michigan State is solid inside with Goran Suton and Drew Naymick providing very good rebounding and defense.  This is the most complete team in the Big 10.

Contender:  Indiana
Super-frosh Eric Gordon, who just might be the No.1 in the NBA draft, leads the way for Indiana.  He provides a perfect complement to the inside game of D.J. White.  Gordon is a very efficient player averaging 23.5 points on less than 13 shots per game.  Indiana needs contributions from more players however, and needs to reintegrate guard A.J. Ratliff who returns from a suspension. 

Wild Card:  Wisconsin
Bo Ryan and Wisconsin continue to win no matter who wears the uniform.  While the Badgers don’t have a true star, they do have several players capable of beating teams on any given night.  Freshman Jon Leuer scored a career high 25 points in the Big-10 opener against Michigan while Michael Flowers hit a game-winning 3-pointer in a huge game against Texas for his only points in that game.  The talent in Madison isn’t equal to some of the other teams across the country, but Ryan is clearly one of the best coaches out there.

Big East
Favorite:  Georgetown
A loss to Memphis is the only blemish for the Hoyas so far.  Outside of the Tigers, Georgetown has yet to be tested as it has played a very soft schedule.  This team is still incredibly talented however, and freshman guards Austin Freeman and Chris Wright have gotten more involved as the season has progressed.  Sophomore forward DaJuan Summers appears to have taken over for departed Jeff Green as to the go-to player for the Hoyas.  Center Roy Hibbert is contributing, but he is not as dominant as one might expect for a senior player of his stature.  He needs to do more as his stats have actually gone down from his junior season.

Contenders:  Marquette, Villanova
These two teams are dominated by guards.  Marquette has been led by the trio of Dominic James, Wesley Matthews, and Jerel McNeal for the past three years.  The trio of backcourt players need big men Lazar Hayward and Ousmane Barro to step up in order for the Eagles to seriously challenge Georgetown for Big East supremacy. 

Villanova is led by guard Scottie Reynolds.  He is flanked by forwards Dante Cunningham and Shane Clark who are not the most talented players in the country, but get the job done on both ends of the court.

Wild cards:  Pitt, Louisville, West Virginia
The Panthers looked like conference favorites, but injuries to Mike Cook and Levance Fields have crippled them.  Freshman DeJuan Blair has been great, but he will need to be even better without the two senior leaders on the floor with him. 

Louisville has underachieved, and the Cardinals have suffered injuries to Juan Palacios and David Padgett.  Both have returned to the lineup, but are clearly not the same physically.  Rick Pitino has too much talent on his roster for his team to be playing so poorly.

Bobby Huggins has elevated the play of the Mountaineers to an even higher level than it had been under John Beilein.  His team plays some of the best defense in the nation, while being highly efficient on the offensive end.  Four different players average double-figures for this squad led by juniors Joe Alexander and Alex Ruoff.  Sophomore forward Da’Sean Butler has star potential.

Pac-10
Favorite:  UCLA
Injuries keep threatening to derail the Bruins, but Ben Howland has kept his team ready to play.  Key reserve Mike Roll has been lost once again to a foot injury after missing three weeks to start the season.  Forward James Keefe had tried to redshirt following a shoulder injury, but he will now play because of Roll’s injury.  Guard Darren Collison also missed time with a knee injury, and has just taken off a knee brace that had limited his movement.  Through all of those maladies, the Bruins are still 14-1 coming off an impressive weekend sweep in the Bay Area to open Pac-10 play.  UCLA is led by freshman double-double machine Kevin Love who is averaging 16.5 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.  Guard Russell Westbrook is one of the best kept secrets in college basketball with impressive athleticism that makes him a huge threat on offense and defense.  Josh Shipp has been steady scoring 14.7 points and shooting 40% from the three point line.  This team is loaded with talent, and should be a favorite for a No.1 seed.

Contender:  Washington State
This may be the best team the Cougars have ever fielded.  They are 13-0 led by guards Derek Low and Kyle Weaver, the best backcourt the nation has never heard of.  Tony Bennett has his team playing incredible defensively (Wazzu held Mississippi Valley State to just 26 points) and very efficient offensively.  The bench is very short, and any injury to a starter could cripple this team as Bennett employs very few players in his rotation. Still, this team has the ability to go a long way in March.

Wild cards:  Stanford, USC
Stanford has shown a different level of ability with the return of seven-footer Brook Lopez from an academic related suspension.  He and twin brother Robin form a formidable duo inside, but the pair averages only 10 rebounds per game combined.  Forward Lawrence Hill is an excellent player, but he will need to improve on some uninspiring recent performances.  USC features lots of young talent led by hyped O.J. Mayo.  While the talent is there, the Trojans are inconsistent and have to learn to play together as a team.  Their ceiling however, is extremely high, and they will be very dangerous if they can make the tournament.

SEC
Favorite: Tennessee
Bruce Pearl’s frenetic style fits his personnel perfectly.  Athletes abound at every position with Chris Lofton and a trio of Smiths: Tyler, JaJuan, and Ramar.  The addition of J.P. Prince (a transfer from Arizona) gives this team another athlete, defender, and scorer on the perimeter making the Vols that much more dangerous.

Contender:  Vanderbilt
Vandy is unbeaten (15-0) and are one of the best offensive teams in the country.  Freshman big man Andrew Ogilvy has been very impressive averaging 19.3 points and 7.3 rebounds.  Teammate Shan Foster leads the conference in scoring (Ogilvy is second) with 21.1 points, and is shooting an incredible 53.3% from three-point range and 54.3% overall.  The Achilles heel for this team however is defense.  They will need to show a better commitment to defend instead of relying solely on outscoring opponents.

Wild card:  Ole Miss
What, no Kentucky, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, or LSU?  The SEC is definitely down this year and the usual suspects are nowhere to be found.  The Rebels have stepped up into the void, and are unbeaten and ranked at 13-0.  Ole Miss has beaten up on a weak schedule, but it does have an impressive win over Clemson.  With the rest of the SEC struggling, the Rebels amazingly are the clear favorite in the West.

A-10
Favorites:  Rhode Island, Dayton
This year is a welcome departure from years past for the Atlantic-10 with four NCAA caliber teams populating the ranks.  Rhode Island is 14-1 and ranked No. 20 in the nation.  There has not been this much buzz for the Rams since Lamar Odom and Cuttino Mobley suited up in the baby blue.  Rhode Island has beaten Syracuse on the road, and features one of the most efficient offensive players in the nation in guard Jimmy Baron. 

Dayton is 14-1 and No. 22 in the nation marking the first time the A-10 has had two nationally ranked teams in years.  The Flyers are set up for an at-large bid with wins over Louisville and Pittsburgh already.  Senior guard Brian Roberts leads the way, and he scored 59 points in those two marquee wins.

Contender:  Xavier
The Musketeers were the preseason favorite, but they have had some early stumbles.  This team is still very talented having dismantled nationally ranked Indiana on a neutral floor 80-65.  Drew Lavender and Stanley Burrell combine to form one of the best backcourts in the nation.  They just might make the Atlantic-10 a three bid conference in March.

Wild Card:  UMASS
The Minutemen have beaten both Boston College and Syracuse away from home.  UMASS plays at one of the fastest tempos in the nation, and just need to stay consistent to make waves in conference play.

C-USA
Favorite:  Memphis
The Tigers are probably the most talented team in the nation, and it would be a massive disappointment if they do not go undefeated in conference play.  They are an elite team playing in a mid-major level conference.   Keeping his players focused and concentrating on every game should be a huge concern for Coach Jim Calipari as will be the free-throw shooting of his front-line.  The Tigers have wins over Georgetown, Arizona, and USC, and are a lock for a No.1 seed in March.

Contender:  None
No team in Conference-USA can compete with Memphis.  This is like the Patriots in the AFC-East.

Wild Cards:  UAB
UAB has wins over Old Dominion and Kentucky, and features Robert Vaden who followed Coach Mike Davis from Indiana.  Vaden is third in the conference in scoring at 20.7 points per game, and keys one of the best defenses in the nation.

WCC
Favorite:  Gonzaga
The Zags are the perennial favorites in the West Coast Conference, and this year is no different.  This team is tournament tested, and is led by veterans Jeremy Pargo and David Pendergraft.  Youngsters Austin Daye, Micah Downs, and Matt Bouldin are all excellent offensive players and the return of Josh Heytvelt inside should help immensely. 

Contender:  St. Mary’s
The Gaels are 12-2 and have wins over Oregon and Seton Hall.  With a large contingent of Australian players (five) led by guard Patrick Mills, this team is legit.  Mills is averaging 15.3 points and 4.0 assists, and has big game experience having played for the Australian National Team.  Look for this team to get an NCAA tournament bid, and mount a serious challenge to Gonzaga for the conference crown.

Wild Card:  Santa Clara
The Broncos aren’t ready to contend just yet, but new coach Kerry Keating has brought some excitement to the small California school.  Keating, a former UCLA assistant, is known as an excellent recruiter and he has already guided his team to a win on the road at Utah.