The first week of the college basketball season is in the books and we some some epic, landscape-changing Top 25 matchups this week. It might still be early and there is a lot that can change over the course of the season, but here are three important things that we learned from the teams in the Top 25.
Kentucky Is The Team To Beat
Everybody already knew how talented the Wildcats are heading in to the season. Then they came out and crushed No. 5 Kansas 72-40 and sent the entire nation a clear message that they are the best in the country. Kentucky had already won its first two games by 19 or more points but those were against unranked teams, so there was still some doubt. That’s no longer the case following the lopsided win over Kansas though as their defense dominated throughout the entire game while Dakari Johnson, Andrew Harrison, Willie Cauley-Stein, and Kari-Anthony Towns all scored nine or more points. Kentucky has a relatively easy schedule until they play Texas in a couple of weeks and they get both North Carolina and Louisville in December, so it will be interesting to see how things play out for the top-ranked team in the country over that span.
North Carolina Cannot Be Overlooked With Meeks & Johnson On
Consistency – or lack thereof – has been something that has cost North Carolina over the years but if Kennedy Meeks and Brice Johnson can consistently play at a high level, then this team will be very good. It’s hard to get a good read on the Tar Heels following a couple of easy wins over lesser programs but both Meeks and Johnson have impressed early on including a combined 44 points against Robert Morris. Roy Williams has talked about how he needs his players to be more aggressive and that is something we have seen early on. Meeks, Johnson, Marcus Paige, J.P. Tokoto, and Justin Jackson will give North Carolina arguably the best starting five in the ACC and they have been in sync early on. The Tar Heels opened the year at No. 6 but they could climb in a hurry as a team that can’t be overlooked this season.
Kansas Is Not A Top-5 Team This Season
It’s important not to overreact to one game but there are two sides to every story. As good as the Wildcats looked, the Jayhawks looked equally bad in the lopsided showdown. Last year’s team was the youngest that Bill Self had ever coached and they don’t look that much better after losing Joel Embiid and Andrew Wiggins to the NBA. Protecting the rim is perhaps the biggest weakness for a team with many and their offense was in shambles against Kentucky. There is still plenty of time to get on track but after that embarrassing loss – combined with the loss of talent on the roster – it’s clear that Kansas isn’t a top-5 team right now.
