Villanova is a king treading water, and the field is making a play for the throne.
As of now — and here’s a shocker — Calipari’s Wildcats are the way, way too early frontrunner.
Kentucky: The crowned head of the recruiting monopoly added one-and-dones across the board. The annual batch of freshman lead by seventh ranked prospect, Keldon Johnson and EJ Montgomery, as well as the bombshell offseason headline that is Stanford graduate transfer, Reid Travis. Potential handicaps are nitpicky, as defensive troubles stereotypical to freshman linger, and possible carryover of last years shooting woes. Still, not enough to curb the oodles of talent flooding the roster.
Gonzaga: Perceived by many as manifest plainness, sadly coincides to their lack of five-star recruits, late tip-offs and a weak schedule. It’s cliche east coast bias that makes them an easy underdog. The Dogs have been legit for years, and now, the narrative changes, as Mark Few returns Rui Hachimura, Josh Perkins, and Killian Tille. Watch out.
Auburn: The focus remains internal, as Bruce Pearl needs to get the monkey on his back that came with last years FBI sanctions. The players are there for a title push, it’s up to Pearl to lead them.
Duke: The recruiting behemoth added the top three freshman in the 2018 pool. But, take that with a grain of salt when I say that a title isn’t a given. Their bench depth is still troublesome and the ACC gauntlet will cause fatigue for the starting five.
Kansas: The Lawson brothers added much needed depth to the frontcourt, and freshman guards Devon Dotson and Quentin Grimes will buffer the loss of All-American Devonte Graham.
