Kentucky Basketball has been not been ranked out of the top 5 by any website or publication so far, and the Sporting News doesn’t go against the grain.
Mike DeCourcy looks at the Wildcats and sees a very young team that will have a lot of learning to do, but still has them as the #4 team in the country.
REASONS TO WORRY
It ain’t easy being green. This is a less experienced team than the one that represented UK last season—which also featured three freshman starters. These Wildcats have one player (Ryan Harrow) who was a starter for a mediocre N.C. State team and one 12-minute player (power forward Kyle Wiltjer) who isn’t incredibly athletic.
A comparative lack of talent. The Wildcats will be more talented than most of their opponents, but they won’t be as talented as the 2010 or 2012 Kentucky teams. They might rise to the level of the 2011 team, which reached the Final Four—but only after earning a No. 4 seed. It’s likely this team will put together something approximating the success of the past three teams. But it won’t be automatic.
High standards. What will Kentucky fans view now as a successful season? Calipari’s first team won 35 games. His second went to the Final Four. His third won the NCAA title. He starts all over again with an entirely new crop of players. How much latitude do they get from UK fans?
