When this blog was created two years ago, the focus was supposed to be exclusively on college basketball. Once April rolled around, however, I realized this was too entertaining to just do only a couple months of the year. Yes, I know I have not written about college basketball this year in a season that is now four months old. Yes, I know my propensity for picking games in the NCAA Tournament has been disastrous in my two attempts through this medium. But you know what, this is a new year. To begin, it will take only two sentences and one Vine to summarize the first four months of the season for those of you who don't follow the sport:
1) Kentucky is hands down the best team in the country.
2) Teams that have tried to beat Kentucky have been as successful as Amir Williams was in this attempt to dunk a basketball
There you have it. All talk this year has revolved around if, and when, Kentucky will lose. The quest for 40-0 was the story in the preseason, and it still is the story in mid February. During the first television timeout of their first game, I knew I would have the Wildcats winning it all barring an Ebola epidemic wiping out the entire first platoon (Ebola was a serious thing back in November, remember?!). There have been some close calls in SEC play, but an unblemished record still resides by Big Blue Nation in the standings. I would wager a substantial amount of money the NCAA Tournament is going to be nothing but a formal arrangement to determine which team will serve as tribute for Kentucky in the national championship. But you see, when the calendar turns to March crazy things have a tendency to happen in this wonderful sport. Butler can come one half court shot rimming out from winning it all. Guys like Kemba Walker and Shabazz Napier can go off and lead UConn to national titles. Christian Laettner can happen. So, I'm going to take a look at the select few teams that might just have enough talent and find themselves needing a play or two to go their way to beat Kentucky. Then, I'll explain why Kentucky could just as easily beat each of them by 20 points and not even break a sweat.
Duke
CASE FOR: Jahlil Okafor is more than likely going to be the number one pick in the NBA Draft. Duke scores a lot of points with ease, and they know how to get good looks from deep. Duke has played a rigorous ACC schedule preparing them for close games in the tournament. Coach K is on their sideline. They have the potential to hit an absurd number of threes. Duke's freshmen are only outmatched by Kentucky's freshmen. Duke makes threes.
CASE AGAINST: They rely on the three pointer way too much, which can lead to losses that shouldn't happen. For example, they got blown out on their home court by MIAMI in a sport that's not football. They got dominated by a mediocre NC STATE team. They avoid playing defense as frequently as the average college student avoids studying for a test. They rely on the three pointer. They have a tendency to lose in their first game of the tournament against the likes of Lehigh and Mercer, so they'll never advance far enough to play Kentucky. Marshall Plumlee might have to guard Karl Anthony Towns (For those of you unfamiliar with the Plumlee family and Duke basketball, think of Plumlee as Cinderella. His more talented older brothers likely humiliated him on the court growing up, but then his fairy godmother -Coach K- offered him a scholarship to allow his lacking basketball skills into something special. It must have turned midnight before poor Marshall ever got to campus, though, because he has never blossomed and would be a serious liability for Duke against any elite team). Also, it's Duke. The only thing nearly as bad as Kentucky winning it all is Duke winning it all. Finally, they shoot too many threes.
CHANCE OF WINNING: Me getting a hole in one during my next round of golf (There's potential, but there are a lot of things that will likely prevent it from happening).
Gonzaga
CASE FOR: Let's compare the 2014-2015 Bulldogs' basketball team to the 2014 Ohio State Buckeyes' football team. Chastised for playing in a weak conference? Check. Successful seasons of late, but a failure to do anything on the national stage in the postseason? Check. Very good coach? Check. Very talented team? Check. Weak analogy that conveniently gets across the point I'm going for? Check. In terms of actual basketball reasons, Gonzaga's best hope might be they run one of the most efficient offensive attacks in the country. They also have Kyle Wiltjer, who transferred from Kentucky. Can't imagine anything more satisfying for somebody that despises Coach Cal as much as me than to have a former player go off for one game and knock Big Blue Nation out of the tournament.
CASE AGAINST: Gonzaga is an annual underachiever in March- Maybe it's because of playing teams like Pepperdine, Portland, Loyola Pacific, and Saint Mary's for three months (Only one of those four isn't a real team!). Gonzaga's best road win was against UCLA- UCLA was trailing Kentucky 41-7 at the half. I can't name three players on this Gonzaga team- I can name seven players that come off of Kentucky's bench.
CHANCE OF WINNING: Me going on a date with Anna Kendrick (The story would be incredible and one for the ages, but unless some circumstances change, it's highly unlikely to happen... If you're reading this, Miss Kendrick, please follow back on Twitter and slide in the DMs).
Wisconsin
CASE FOR: Frank Kaminsky. Wisconsin's own seven foot tall, player of the year candidate menace could cause the lane to vacate by forcing one of John Calipari's League of Extraordinarily Tall Gentlemen to follow him out to the three point line. A system that prides itself on limiting turnovers, playing good team defense, and taking good shots on offense. A team that can knock down the amount of threes you will need to swing the game. Momentum and experience from a tournament run last year. A mindset of revenge after Kentucky beat them with a late three in the tournament last year.
CASE AGAINST: Traevon Jackson, Wisconsin's starting point guard, has been injured for several weeks now. While he should return in time for the tournament, your field general will need to play lights out to beat Kentucky. Wisconsin lost to Duke on their home court. The Badgers' system might struggle to score against Kentucky's trees- It's hard to successfully get open cuts to the basket with the tallest team in college basketball clogging the lane. The Big Ten is having a down year, and Wisconsin hasn't played many great teams the last two months.
CHANCE OF WINNING: Me getting an internship at Google (The prerequisites to give me a chance might be there, but unfortunately the competition might just simply be better qualified than me)
Villanova
CASE FOR: Villanova, to borrow a concept from one of my sports journalist icons, Bill Simmons, is a sneaky good, nobody believes in us team. Last year, Villanova steamrolled everybody in the Big East except for Creighton, because Doug McDermott was a corn oasis, Nebraskan deity. However, in the tournament, the Wildcats got Shabazz Napier'ed and bowed out in the second round. Kentucky's depth is continually lauded, but Villanova goes nine deep regularly this year. They run a balanced offense where the leading scorer is rarely the same on a game to game basis. The Big East plays its game on Fox Sports 1, so casual basketball fans likely don't realize the top to bottom strength of the conference, and it provides another way for Villanova to float under the national radar. Ryan Arcidiacono provides a savvy, leadership presence on the court. Darrun Hillard, as the kids are saying these days, gets buckets. Oh, and Jay Wright's coaching acumen shouldn't be discounted either.
CASE AGAINST: Villanova's best opponent all year has arguably been VCU. While the Big East does provide a lot of top to bottom depth and the Wildcats could potentially lose on any night, the other elite teams on the list would compose an entirely different set of challenges. Villanova is also unlikely to get a one seed. This means they'll face another potential dangerous opponent as early as the second round. For example, Wildcat fans would be terrified of a potential game against Ohio State, currently projected to get a seven seed by Joe Lunardi. D'Angelo Russell it appears was put on this planet (and this Ohio State team for one year) to crush a team's dreams in March. Villanova would have to get through a couple of these games before even facing Kentucky. Winning three tough games and being rewarded with dealing with Big Blue Nation? It really isn't fair.
CHANCE OF WINNING: Me going skydiving within the next couple weeks (It would be surprising, but the more you think about it, the more you realize it could actually happen).
Virginia
CASE FOR: If defense wins championships, this is the only team in the country that defends on the same elite level as Kentucky. The "packline" defense has stifled many high octane offenses throughout conference play in the ACC. London Perrantes doesn't have flashy numbers, but he might be the most underrated and important point guard in the county. Virginia's guards have the size to match up with the Harrison twins and Devin Booker. Justin Anderson might be the best player in the country you've never heard of.
CASE AGAINST: Justin Anderson suffered a finger injury a few weeks ago, and his return remains a huge question mark. Without Anderson on the court, Virginia's offense has struggled to score the basketball. Not being able to score makes basketball a very difficult game, even if your defense held a team to 28 points in a game (Which Virginia did against Harvard earlier this year). Mike Tobey and Anthony Gill will be giving a few inches to Kentucky's forwards.
CHANCE OF WINNING: Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather agreeing to fight (There's a good chance of it happening, but both parties will n--- WAIT?!? THEY AGREED TO A FIGHT?!? BOTH SIDES PUT THEIR EGOS ASIDE TO GIVE THE FANS, NAY, THE WORLD WHAT IT WANTED?!? SCREW IT! ALL THE CRAZY, DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND, THEORETICAL PHYSICS FROM INTERSTELLAR HAS INFILTRATED OUR WORLD. WE ARE IN A NEW DIMENSION. KENTUCKY'S GOING TO BE THE FIRST ONE SEED TO LOSE TO A SIXTEEN SEED. HAPPY ALMOST MARCH, AMERICA!!!!!).
J. Nave
There you have it. All talk this year has revolved around if, and when, Kentucky will lose. The quest for 40-0 was the story in the preseason, and it still is the story in mid February. During the first television timeout of their first game, I knew I would have the Wildcats winning it all barring an Ebola epidemic wiping out the entire first platoon (Ebola was a serious thing back in November, remember?!). There have been some close calls in SEC play, but an unblemished record still resides by Big Blue Nation in the standings. I would wager a substantial amount of money the NCAA Tournament is going to be nothing but a formal arrangement to determine which team will serve as tribute for Kentucky in the national championship. But you see, when the calendar turns to March crazy things have a tendency to happen in this wonderful sport. Butler can come one half court shot rimming out from winning it all. Guys like Kemba Walker and Shabazz Napier can go off and lead UConn to national titles. Christian Laettner can happen. So, I'm going to take a look at the select few teams that might just have enough talent and find themselves needing a play or two to go their way to beat Kentucky. Then, I'll explain why Kentucky could just as easily beat each of them by 20 points and not even break a sweat.
Duke
CASE FOR: Jahlil Okafor is more than likely going to be the number one pick in the NBA Draft. Duke scores a lot of points with ease, and they know how to get good looks from deep. Duke has played a rigorous ACC schedule preparing them for close games in the tournament. Coach K is on their sideline. They have the potential to hit an absurd number of threes. Duke's freshmen are only outmatched by Kentucky's freshmen. Duke makes threes.
CASE AGAINST: They rely on the three pointer way too much, which can lead to losses that shouldn't happen. For example, they got blown out on their home court by MIAMI in a sport that's not football. They got dominated by a mediocre NC STATE team. They avoid playing defense as frequently as the average college student avoids studying for a test. They rely on the three pointer. They have a tendency to lose in their first game of the tournament against the likes of Lehigh and Mercer, so they'll never advance far enough to play Kentucky. Marshall Plumlee might have to guard Karl Anthony Towns (For those of you unfamiliar with the Plumlee family and Duke basketball, think of Plumlee as Cinderella. His more talented older brothers likely humiliated him on the court growing up, but then his fairy godmother -Coach K- offered him a scholarship to allow his lacking basketball skills into something special. It must have turned midnight before poor Marshall ever got to campus, though, because he has never blossomed and would be a serious liability for Duke against any elite team). Also, it's Duke. The only thing nearly as bad as Kentucky winning it all is Duke winning it all. Finally, they shoot too many threes.
CHANCE OF WINNING: Me getting a hole in one during my next round of golf (There's potential, but there are a lot of things that will likely prevent it from happening).
Gonzaga
CASE FOR: Let's compare the 2014-2015 Bulldogs' basketball team to the 2014 Ohio State Buckeyes' football team. Chastised for playing in a weak conference? Check. Successful seasons of late, but a failure to do anything on the national stage in the postseason? Check. Very good coach? Check. Very talented team? Check. Weak analogy that conveniently gets across the point I'm going for? Check. In terms of actual basketball reasons, Gonzaga's best hope might be they run one of the most efficient offensive attacks in the country. They also have Kyle Wiltjer, who transferred from Kentucky. Can't imagine anything more satisfying for somebody that despises Coach Cal as much as me than to have a former player go off for one game and knock Big Blue Nation out of the tournament.
CASE AGAINST: Gonzaga is an annual underachiever in March- Maybe it's because of playing teams like Pepperdine, Portland, Loyola Pacific, and Saint Mary's for three months (Only one of those four isn't a real team!). Gonzaga's best road win was against UCLA- UCLA was trailing Kentucky 41-7 at the half. I can't name three players on this Gonzaga team- I can name seven players that come off of Kentucky's bench.
CHANCE OF WINNING: Me going on a date with Anna Kendrick (The story would be incredible and one for the ages, but unless some circumstances change, it's highly unlikely to happen... If you're reading this, Miss Kendrick, please follow back on Twitter and slide in the DMs).
Wisconsin
CASE FOR: Frank Kaminsky. Wisconsin's own seven foot tall, player of the year candidate menace could cause the lane to vacate by forcing one of John Calipari's League of Extraordinarily Tall Gentlemen to follow him out to the three point line. A system that prides itself on limiting turnovers, playing good team defense, and taking good shots on offense. A team that can knock down the amount of threes you will need to swing the game. Momentum and experience from a tournament run last year. A mindset of revenge after Kentucky beat them with a late three in the tournament last year.
CASE AGAINST: Traevon Jackson, Wisconsin's starting point guard, has been injured for several weeks now. While he should return in time for the tournament, your field general will need to play lights out to beat Kentucky. Wisconsin lost to Duke on their home court. The Badgers' system might struggle to score against Kentucky's trees- It's hard to successfully get open cuts to the basket with the tallest team in college basketball clogging the lane. The Big Ten is having a down year, and Wisconsin hasn't played many great teams the last two months.
CHANCE OF WINNING: Me getting an internship at Google (The prerequisites to give me a chance might be there, but unfortunately the competition might just simply be better qualified than me)
Villanova
CASE FOR: Villanova, to borrow a concept from one of my sports journalist icons, Bill Simmons, is a sneaky good, nobody believes in us team. Last year, Villanova steamrolled everybody in the Big East except for Creighton, because Doug McDermott was a corn oasis, Nebraskan deity. However, in the tournament, the Wildcats got Shabazz Napier'ed and bowed out in the second round. Kentucky's depth is continually lauded, but Villanova goes nine deep regularly this year. They run a balanced offense where the leading scorer is rarely the same on a game to game basis. The Big East plays its game on Fox Sports 1, so casual basketball fans likely don't realize the top to bottom strength of the conference, and it provides another way for Villanova to float under the national radar. Ryan Arcidiacono provides a savvy, leadership presence on the court. Darrun Hillard, as the kids are saying these days, gets buckets. Oh, and Jay Wright's coaching acumen shouldn't be discounted either.
CASE AGAINST: Villanova's best opponent all year has arguably been VCU. While the Big East does provide a lot of top to bottom depth and the Wildcats could potentially lose on any night, the other elite teams on the list would compose an entirely different set of challenges. Villanova is also unlikely to get a one seed. This means they'll face another potential dangerous opponent as early as the second round. For example, Wildcat fans would be terrified of a potential game against Ohio State, currently projected to get a seven seed by Joe Lunardi. D'Angelo Russell it appears was put on this planet (and this Ohio State team for one year) to crush a team's dreams in March. Villanova would have to get through a couple of these games before even facing Kentucky. Winning three tough games and being rewarded with dealing with Big Blue Nation? It really isn't fair.
CHANCE OF WINNING: Me going skydiving within the next couple weeks (It would be surprising, but the more you think about it, the more you realize it could actually happen).
Virginia
CASE FOR: If defense wins championships, this is the only team in the country that defends on the same elite level as Kentucky. The "packline" defense has stifled many high octane offenses throughout conference play in the ACC. London Perrantes doesn't have flashy numbers, but he might be the most underrated and important point guard in the county. Virginia's guards have the size to match up with the Harrison twins and Devin Booker. Justin Anderson might be the best player in the country you've never heard of.
CASE AGAINST: Justin Anderson suffered a finger injury a few weeks ago, and his return remains a huge question mark. Without Anderson on the court, Virginia's offense has struggled to score the basketball. Not being able to score makes basketball a very difficult game, even if your defense held a team to 28 points in a game (Which Virginia did against Harvard earlier this year). Mike Tobey and Anthony Gill will be giving a few inches to Kentucky's forwards.
CHANCE OF WINNING: Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather agreeing to fight (There's a good chance of it happening, but both parties will n--- WAIT?!? THEY AGREED TO A FIGHT?!? BOTH SIDES PUT THEIR EGOS ASIDE TO GIVE THE FANS, NAY, THE WORLD WHAT IT WANTED?!? SCREW IT! ALL THE CRAZY, DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND, THEORETICAL PHYSICS FROM INTERSTELLAR HAS INFILTRATED OUR WORLD. WE ARE IN A NEW DIMENSION. KENTUCKY'S GOING TO BE THE FIRST ONE SEED TO LOSE TO A SIXTEEN SEED. HAPPY ALMOST MARCH, AMERICA!!!!!).
J. Nave
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