The Wildcats are the new No. 1 in the SI Power Rankings this week, but it’s the wrong Wildcats.
SI has moved Villanova to the top spot, followed by Kentucky.
North Carolina, Indiana and Kansas round out the top 5.
Here’s an excerpt about Kentucky:
2. KENTUCKY WILDCATS
RECORD: 3–0It’s evident, even after just three games, that Kentucky’s best offense this season is going to come in transition. When you have a lightning bolt like De’Aaron Fox as your point guard, and a wing-runners like Malik Monk and Isaiah Briscoe as your go-to scorers, the best course of action is to push the pace, even after opponents’ made baskets. But will the Wildcats stay committed to that over the course of the season? They’ve spent 23.7% of their offense in transition thus far, according to Synergy Sports, but every John Calipari-coached Kentucky team aside from his first one—with John Wall at point guard, in 2009–10—has relied on more than 80% halfcourt offense. Perhaps the fact that Calipari recently teased Wall that Fox is faster than him is a sign that these ‘Cats can buck the recent trend and stay speedy.
For reference, here’s how Kentucky’s transition offense percentage and length of offensive possession rank breaks down over the Calipari Era:
(Data sources: Synergy Sports and kenpom.com)
Next up: 11/20 vs. Duquesne, 11/23 vs. Cleveland State
