Hey, remember college basketball? At least in my world, tonight marks the unofficial start of the season. Some conference games have already taken place, but generally speaking, this evening marks the first time you should really start paying attention.

We made some predictions back in early November before the season started, but now that we've had a few months to digest it's time to size up each major conference race.

ACC 1. North Carolina 2. Duke 3. North Carolina State
Using the same formula as Pittsburgh, I like the Tar Heels to use their balance and pound away inside to beat the Blue Devils by a game or two. As an aside, how awful is Maryland? What happened?

Big 12 1. Kansas 2. Texas 3. Texas A&M
No surprises here, it's pretty straightforward, but I do like Missouri to pull off some big upsets against these top three. Curious to find out how real Nebraska is with a 10-2 record.

Big East 1. Georgetown 2. Marquette 3. Pittsburgh
The Panthers are certainly capable of winning it all, but their injuries are going to result in a few extra losses this month. Sleeper: West Virginia.

Big Ten 1. Michigan State 2. Indiana 3. Wisconsin
The emergence of Kalin Lucas as a go-to point guard and Goran Sutan as an effective scorer and rebounder in the post lead me to believe they'll edge the Hoosiers by a game or two. Team to watch: Minnesota is playing with a lot of confidence.

PAC 10 1. UCLA 2. Arizona 3. Washington State
Defense will keep the Bruins and Cougars consistent, but I like the Wildcats to upset both during the season and sneak into the 2 spot. Still like the Bruins as a Final Four team.

SEC 1. Tennessee 2. Vanderbilt 3. Florida
How bad is the conference this year? Even after these three teams the drop off is substantial. I'm still not buying Mississippi yet.

Best Mid-Majors at season's end 1. Butler 2. Dayton 3. BYU 4. Houston 5. Miami (OH)

Feel free to share your picks and answer the poll below. Closes on Sunday night.