The first rankings have been released for the 2015-16 college basketball season and Kentucky and North Carolina share the top spot. This is the USA Today Coaches Poll with the AP Poll not having come out yet. Here are five observations about the preseason rankings.
1. Kentucky Tied For #1, Too High: Kentucky comes into this season with the top ranked recruiting class in the nation and a ton of talent like they always have. Last season they ran the table in the regular season and made it to the Final Four before finally losing a heartbreaker to Wisconsin. That Kentucky team had a good mix of experience and youth but they lost seven players to the NBA and this team has a lot of question marks. Yes, they have Tyler Ulis who showed some things as a freshman and senior Alex Poythress but he is returning from a torn ACL and who knows what can be expected from him. John Calipari came out a few weeks ago and said that right now he doesn't think his team is very good yet. The Wildcats still don't know if their top recruit Skal Labissiere will be eligible to play this season and this team has a lot to prove so the number one ranking is based on talent but it probably should have gone to North Carolina by themselves as they return almost everyone from last season's sweet sixteen team.
2. Is Duke Too High At Number 4?: It is very possible that Duke being ranked number four is too high. They were ranked third in last year's preseason rankings and that was with the top recruiting class by a long shot and Quinn Cook. Cook is gone and this year's recruiting class is very good (second behind Kentucky) but they don't have a Jahlil Okafor in there. Brandon Ingram has a chance to be a star at the college level and could make this ranking hold up with the help of sophomore Grayson Allen who will get much more playing time this year but it's hard to imagine this Duke team being as successful as last year's version although it is hard to count out a Mike Krzyzewski team. Virginia returns four out of five starters from last year's team and although they may not have the talent Duke does they likely warrant a higher ranking than them but they are instead at #6.
3. LSU At #19 = Ben Simmons Factor: Ben Simmons was the top recruit in the nation in the 2015 class and many people believe he will be the number one pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. The kid is extremely talented and will have a chance to dominate the SEC as a freshman but there are plenty of questions about his team. LSU had high expectations last season but they underachieved and lost a lot of talent from that underachieving team. Jordan Mickey and Jarell Martin are gone and they are going to be putting a lot of pressure on Simmons and the rest of their third ranked recruiting class to carry the team. Simmons and Antonio Blakeney will likely be a fearsome duo for the Tigers this year but putting them at number 19 in the nation ahead of teams like Baylor and Butler is out of respect for the top recruit in this class more than anything.
4. Big Ten Or ACC?: These two conferences seem to easily be the best in the nation without a doubt but the question is which one is better. The ACC has four teams in the top 25, while the Big Ten has five but the ACC has three top ten teams while the Big Ten only has one. North Carolina is likely the best team from either conference but Maryland (#3) isn't far behind as they have one of the best starting lineups in basketball and one of the most intriguing players in the nation in Melo Trimble. Aside from the top 25 the Big Ten has the first team left out of the rankings (Michigan) and the ACC has the second team left out (Louisville.) These two conferences play each other every year in the Big Ten/ACC challenge but that often isn't the best indicator as to which conference is better. Last year the ACC was well represented in the NCAA Tournament but this year the Big Ten might be deeper while the ACC is more top heavy.
5. Utah At #16 Is Too Low: Utah gave Duke quite a good game last year in the Sweet 16 and they are a force to be reckoned with again this year. The Utes did lose their best player, Delon Wright, to the NBA but they return their second, third and fourth top scorers from a year ago and have a lot of experience on their roster. Seniors Brandon Taylor and Jordan Loveridge averaged double figures in scoring last year and they will be there to lead the team this season. The Utes will also have another year of progression from seven foot center Jakob Poeltl. Poeltl came over from Austria as a raw talented big man last year and he actually played really well as a freshman. Poeltl averaged 9.1 points and 6.8 rebounds in 23.3 minutes per game while also blocking 1.9 shots per game. Poeltl will be one of the best rim protectors in the nation this year and if he improved his offense over the summer like many say he has this team is a real threat to not only Arizona in the PAC-12 but also to possibly make a Final Four run.
