To not much surprise, the Kentucky Wildcats opened up the NCAA Men's Basketball season as the number one ranked team in the associated Press Top 25 poll, taking the top spot over Michigan State, Louisville, Duke and Kansas.
According to ESPN.com, John Calipari's team is ranked number one in the preseason poll despite the Cardinals winning the national championship last year, while Andrew Wiggins' team is ranked fifth after bringing in the hyped up freshman star. Calipari's team missed the tournament last season while being comprised of a number of young players, including Nerlens Noel and now the team has another chance to get into the tournament. The team won a title two years ago and now they are geared up for another run to the Final Four.
Last season the team ended up getting upset in the NIT against Robert Morris and it is quite the jump now to number one in the nation. The team has brought in another solid recruiting class and even with Wiggins, the presumptive number one pick, the Wildcats have the Jayhawks beat, as KU is at number five. The preseason poll is usually a good barometer of how teams will perform and the Cardinals are in third after winning the title last season. The Wildcats ended up 21-12 last season and now they will get the chance to come back with six freshman players and Alex Poythress and Willie Cauley-Stein, while Louisville also has a number of top names returning.
The Wildcats made it into the top spot with 27 first place votes, while Michigan State ended up with 22 first place votes. The Spartans come into the season after losing to Duke in the tournament last year and later this season, Kentucky and Michigan State will meet in the State Farm Champions Classic in Chicago.
