With only one month until “March Madness”, the college basketball scene is heating up. Every week it seems as if there is a new number one team that loses to an unranked team. This year in College Basketball, there is no real “number one” team in the country. This year, we do not have the “it” team that would be the favorite to win the NCAA Tournament. Here is a preview of some of the teams to watch out for and teams that are just overrated.
Texas – Texas has a decent chance of winning it all this year. They are probably the most overrated team in the top ten. The Longhorns are very big, but they tend to struggle towards the end of the game. Dexter Pittman and Damion James are two outstanding big men. However, they easily fall into foul trouble, which leads to the rest of the team looking for players to help out down low. They are also going to have to step it up defensively down the stretch.
Kentucky – The Wildcat’s head coach John Calipari may be a bit controversial, however, you must give credit where credit is due. He has taken a very young team, many of which are freshmen, and has made them play as a team. The Wildcats are very young and athletic. They have an amazing point guard in John Wall, a tremendous shooter in Eric Bledsoe, and an athletic big man in DeMarcus Cousins. However, their biggest strength may also be their biggest weakness. They are indeed very young, with 8 freshman and sophomores, and can struggle under pressure. I really want to see what is going to happen to Kentucky after this season as John Wall seems to be another “one and done.”
Villanova – Villanova is without a doubt the most consistent team in the country. They are in a very tough conference and definitely have the experience to back them up. Senior guard Scottie Reynolds has average 14.8 points or more in each of his seasons. This year he is averaging 18.7 points per game. They have help in the front court with Antonio Pens and Duke transfer Taylor King, who can also shoot the ball as well anyone in the country. In addition to that, they also have McDonalds All American, freshman guard Dominic Cheeks, coming off the bench as well.
Kansas – Although Kansas may seem to be the favorite; I have a very hard time believing the hype. As of today, they have only faced 3 top 25 teams, one of which they lost and another they barely won. There is no doubt that they have the talent both in the front and back-court, but they have not established themselves as the best team in the country. In their loss to Tennessee, the Volunteer lineup was very weak as they lost key players due to injuries, dismissals, and suspensions. Yet, Tennessee still came out and defeated Kansas who seemed to have played only the first half. Even though it was their only lost, Kansas still is not convincing enough must make a statement by winning their conference championship towards the end of the season.
Duke – As much as I love them, Duke is without a doubt, the most overrated team in the country. Defensively, they are absolutely terrible. It seems as if anyone can drive past them. Also, they can often at times get really cold from beyond the arc, which is their first option. John Scheyer has been playing great. However, their bench is very weak. The only upside to their bench is the young freshmen Mason Plumlee, who is one of the most athletic forwards in the country. Andre Dawkins, who started off the season great, has lost his shot ever since he lost his sister due to a car accident. He has not played the same since. Duke really needs to step it up defensively and really needs to find some help off the bench if they want to make it all the way this year.
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