Experts' picks: Forecasting 2005-06

As the season approaches, which teams are the experts picking to reach the Final Four? Which squad is a team on the rise? Who's the best ball handler in the country? And exactly what do they expect from Candace Parker? We grilled our panel -- bracket expert Charlie Creme, columnist Mechelle Voepel and ESPN's Nancy Lieberman and Beth Mowins -- for the answers.

EXPERTS' PICKS
	CHARLIE CREME	NANCY LIEBERMAN	BETH MOWINS	MECHELLE VOEPEL
Player of year	S. Augustus LSU	S. Augustus LSU	S. Young Baylor	S. Young Baylor
No. 2 pick	M. Currie Duke	M. Currie Duke	S. Augustus LSU	S. Augustus LSU
No. 1 team
Team on rise
Team on decline
Best-kept secret	S. Doron Maryland	J. Covington Louisville	C. Dupree Temple	K. Smith Utah
Game of year	Duke-UNC Feb. 25,'06	Tenn.-Duke Jan. 23,'06	Tenn.-Duke Jan. 23,'06	Tenn.-Duke Jan. 23,'06
Strongest conference
ACC champ
Big East champ
Big Ten champ
Big 12 champ
Pac-10 champ
SEC champ
Best fans	Tennessee	New Mexico	Connecticut	Tennessee
Hardest place to play	Rutgers	Tennessee	New Mexico	New Mexico
Best defender	J. Davenport Ohio State	L. Willis UCLA	S. Hoston LSU	T. Jackson Texas
Best shooter	M. Bulger W. Virginia	M. Bulger W. Virginia	L. Bowen Mich. St.	S. Augustus LSU
Best ball handler	I. Latta UNC	C. Pondexter Rutgers	M. Duffy Notre Dame	E. Grant Texas Tech
Best passer	E. Grant Texas Tech	E. Grant Texas Tech	I. Latta UNC	E. Grant Texas Tech
Best rebounder	K. Smith DePaul	K. Smith DePaul	C. Langhorne Maryland	K. Smith DePaul
Best post	J. Davenport Ohio State	J. Davenport Ohio State	S. Young Baylor	S. Young Baylor
Final Four	Duke Georgia Rutgers Tennessee	Duke UNC Ohio State Tennessee	Connecticut Duke Rutgers Tennessee	Duke LSU Tennessee Texas

Creme: Struggle early, not becoming a difference-maker until late in the season when she is the key to a Tennessee national championship.
Lieberman: Dunk on somebody this year!
Mowins: Dunk more than once.
Voepel: Be as eye-opening on defense as she in on offense. Her wingspan, quickness, leaping ability and strength will be part of what could be a witheringly effective Tennessee team defense.

Creme: Jessica Davenport will block a Candace Parker dunk attempt in an NCAA Tournament game.
Lieberman: Tennessee is going to win its seventh title.
Mowins: Cappie Pondexter and Monique Currie will be rewarded for coming back to school with All-America honors and a trip to the Final Four.
Voepel: Duke will overcome the "reputation" that it has been tagged with -- not coming through in the biggest moments -- and will win the national championship. I expect this could be saved and e-mailed back to me in April from the region of eastern Tennessee or who knows where.

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