2014-2015 College Basketball: Kentucky vs the field.

[Tyche]

With the college basketball season tipping off on Friday, after scrimmaging against top ranked Kentucky, Georgetown College head coach Chris Briggs came away very impressed.
“Those guys are unreal,” Briggs told reporters. “I told the guys in the locker room, [the Wildcats] could have beaten some NBA teams tonight. There’s no question in my mind.”

So here we are. The start of the 2014 basketball season that no one outside of the midwest and Kentucky cares about begins Friday. The best game of the day, in my COMPLETELY UNBIASED opinion, is the Armed Forces game pitting Pitino Sr and Pitino Jr. It'll be interesting watching Rick Sr try to coach both teams (a joke from watching Pitino Sr try to coach Minnesota from the stands in the NIT championship). I honestly think Rick may root for Minnesota in this game.

Pretty much every preseason poll that doesn't want to be hipster by picking Arizona have UK as the preseason favorite. And rightfully so, they'll face little competition in the SEC (maybe some pushback from Florida, but nothing more). Here is my top 5 +1.

1. Kentucky returns a lot and bring in a top recruiting class(fun fact, if Kentucky played in the NBA, they'd be the tallest team in the league) from a team that went to the championship a season ago. Despite idle chatter, this isn't a 40-0 team. But they are the most talented team in the nation and they have experience to back it up. Eerily similar to their championship team a few seasons ago. If Karl Towns is half of what Anthony Davis was, this team will be a shoe-in to go back to the final four.

2. Duke returns the massively overlooked Quinn Cook to accompany Player of the Year front runner Jalil Okafor. Tyus Jones also joins the team. The starting 5 of this team could probably go head to head with Kentucky, but I don't see the depth that UK will bring. Given the massive depth of the ACC, this conference will probably eat itself. So Duke should be battle tested come March.

3. Wisconsin is a final four team that brings the nation's best front court to the table. Frank Kaminsky is a monster and another PoY frontrunner. They also return Dekker (and a large part of their final four team). Ryan actually showed an ability to *gasp* play games where they scored more than 40 points. If they can continue the up-tempo playstyle, they'll be able to play with anyone in the country.

4. Arizona brings back Brandon Ashley from injury (they went, like, 20-0 with him in the lineup last season) and pair him with one of the best Freshman in the league, Stanley Johnson, to make for the best wing-combo in the country.

5. Louisville loses the most prolific scorer in the country in Russ Smith, but return two of the better guards in the country in Chris Jones and Terry Rozier. They'll be anchored by possibly the best pure athlete in the country, Montrezl Harrell. This team, unlike the others in the top 5, will not start a single Freshman. If the freshman coming off the bench play well, this is a team that could easily find their way back to their 3rd final four in four years.

+1. Gonzaga is ranked outside of the top 10 in most publications, but I think they're better than that. This team brings UK transfer Kyle Wiltjer to join Pangos. This will, without any doubt, be the best offensive team in the country. But they won't guard shit. They'll be terrible defensively. Regardless, I think they'll put up the points to keep up with anyone.

Here's your AP top 25.
1.Kentucky (52)
2.Arizona (5)
3.Wisconsin (8)
4.Duke
5.Kansas
6.N. Carolina
7.Florida
8.Louisville
9.Virginia
10.Texas
11.Wichita St.
12.Villanova
13.Gonzaga
14.Iowa St.
15.VCU
16.S. Diego St.
17.Connecticut
18.Michigan St.
19.Oklahoma
20.Ohio St.
21.Nebraska
22.SMU
23.Syracuse
24.Michigan
25.Harvard

Prediction machine:
Final Four: Kentucky, Wisconsin, Duke, Gonzaga
Championship: Kentucky over Duke

Bold prediction: Everyone predicting Texas to knock Kansas off their annual romp of the Big 12 are wrong, Texas finishes out the season outside of the top 25....because Rick Barnes is awful.

[Arvin]

another year another probable disappointment from an izzo team, we have branden dawson as our best player. the only silver lining is that denzel valentine looks kinda good right now, so maybe dawson won't be the only leader

[Bregor]

Paige and the frontcourt should be good again for UNC but the lack of a solid 2 and Justin Jackson starting as a freshman worries me.

[archibaldcrane]

I don't think Wisconsin has ever entered a season this highly touted. I...don't really know what to do with that.

[Headspace]

I don't think Wisconsin has ever entered a season this highly touted. I...don't really know what to do with that.

Prepare for disappointment like the rest of us

[Mertron]

RUTGERS!

just getting that out of the way, goodbye

[Bregor]

RUTGERS!

just getting that out of the way, goodbye

Big Gulps, huh?




Okay, see ya later!

[Mertron]

so youre saying theres a chance

[Titanss]

reporting in

[Arvin]

Prepare for disappointment like the rest of us

What heady said. Always a disappointment when you're a highly ranked big ten team

[Cail]

Completely missed this thread, my b

[Furionstormrage]

On Lunardi's "First Four Out". I'll take it.

[Tyche]

First top 10 team of the season goes down to an unranked opponent.

GATA.

[archibaldcrane]

THA U, making up for failing to down FSU on Saturday.

[Chrius]

Big 12 and Big East only conferences without a loss. Who can hold out the longest?

[Tyche]

Decent chance Kansas falls tonight to UK. This is going to be an amazing game. Also, Duke vs Michigan State tonight.

[Headspace]

Missing 4 players. November. WHATEVER

[Moss]

has kentucky been doing this sub 5 in/5 out shit the whole game?

[Akiyama]

I dunno, but Kansas is working so hard for these shots and like..getting bopped.

[Tyche]

has kentucky been doing this sub 5 in/5 out shit the whole game?

All season. He's dubbed it "the platoon system".