The national media has updated their 2013-14 college basketball rankings, but there hasn’t been a change on top at ESPN or CBS.
Kentucky is still the overwhelming favorite to win it all next season.
1. Kentucky Wildcats: Could the Wildcats really go from first-round NIT losers to NCAA champions? Absolutely. Kentucky’s 2013 recruiting class is already being hailed as the best in college basketball history. The haul includes four players (Andrew and Aaron Harrison, Julius Randle and James Young) ranked among the nation’s top 10 prospects by ESPN.com. The cherry on top could be No. 1 overall recruit Wiggins, who is still trying to decide between Kentucky, Kansas, Florida State and North Carolina. Even without Wiggins, this may be the most talented college basketball team ever assembled. But will it jell? Even though injuries and chemistry issues ruined his most recent team, John Calipari has proved to be excellent at coaching players who plan to spend only a year or two in college. He’s great at getting them to play defense and share the ball. It will help that some of Kentucky’s key players in 2012-13 (Alex Poythress, Willie Cauley-Stein and Kyle Wiltjer) will return to provide veteran leadership, which is something the program sorely lacked last season.
1 Kentucky
Last season: 21-12
Postseason: NIT
Notable players definitely gone: Nerlens Noel, Archie Goodwin, Julius Mays, Ryan Harrow
Notable players expected to return: Willie Cauley-Stein, Alex Poythress, Kyle Wiltjer
Notable newcomers: Julius Randle, Dakari Johnson, Aaron Harrison, Andrew Harrison, James Young, Marcus Lee, Derek Willis
Louisville is ranked #2 in both polls.
