Kentucky Basketball Ranked No. 4 In First Coaches Poll
The Kentucky basketball team has been ranked No. 4 in the preseason USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll. Did the coaches get it right?
The Kentucky basketball program doesn’t appear to be the odds-on favorite that many in Lexington expected it to be. Rather than entering the 2016-17 season as the No. 1 team in the country, the Wildcats find themselves near the bottom of the Top 5.
Seriously.
Kentucky wasn’t No. 1 in the first edition of the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll—or No. 2, or even No. 3.
Duke, Kansas, Villanova, Kentucky and Oregon make up top five in preseason men's college basketball coaches poll: https://t.co/XLnrihsjWe pic.twitter.com/RjXCZ4EM1t
— USA TODAY Sports (@USATODAYsports) October 20, 2016
Well then.
The Duke Blue Devils pulled in, arguably, the Top 2 recruits in the country: Harry Giles and Jayson Tatum. Duke also has a National Player of the Year frontrunner in junior Grayson Allen.
If that’s not enough, Duke has a proven sharpshooter in sophomore Luke Kennard and two highly-touted recruits in Marques Bolden and Frank Jackson.
The Kansas Jayhawks landed one of the most revered recruits in the country in freshman wing Josh Jackson. Kansas returns Frank Mason III and Devonte Graham—two of the best guards in the country—as well as sharpshooting shooting guard Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk.
The Jayhawks will also bring Carlton Bragg Jr. back, whom many have deemed as an upside player who could make a serious impact in 2016-17.
The Villanova Wildcats lost a number of key players, but Jay Wright’s crew won the 2016 national championship. Thus, with the likes of Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Kris Jenkins returning, Villanova has earned its respect.
Nevertheless, one can’t help but feel somewhat satisfied with Kentucky being No. 4.
Kentucky pulled in a recruiting class that was ranked at No. 1 by ESPN Insider and Rivals, and No. 2 by Scout and 247Sports. It returns sophomore Isaiah Briscoe, as well, which gives it an established talent to provide leadership.
Perhaps this ranking is fair, but Kentucky has every right to use this as bulletin board material.
Kentucky has championship aspirations and the talent to make this poll obsolete.
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