No. 2 North Carolina | No. 4 Kansas | Full List
No. 3: KENTUCKY WILDCATS
Last Season: 38-1, 18-0 SEC
Is this even necessary?
John Calipari has the No. 2 recruiting class in America and a bunch of dudes who will probably greet NBA commissioner Adam Silver with a handshake on a dais in Brooklyn next summer. But you expected that, right?
No coach in America hits the reset button like Calipari. After losing seven guys to the pros and recording a 38-1 season that ended with a Final Four loss to Wisconsin, Kentucky features another roster that should skate through the year with few blemishes and finish the 2015-16 season in Houston, which would be the Wildcats' fifth Final Four appearance in the past six seasons.
There will be a shift this season, however, with a greater emphasis on guard play as Tyler Ulis, Jamal Murray and Isaiah Briscoe storm ahead as one of the nation's most potent backcourts. Then again, 6-foot-11 freshman Skal Labissiere, who faced an NCAA inquiry about his eligibility prior to the season, could be the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NBA draft.
So Kentucky is a national-title threat again. It'd be odd if that weren't the case, right? -- Myron Medcalf
Best Case: If the Wildcats freshmen jell and the returnees play up to their lofty reps, there is no reason to believe Kentucky cannot find its way back to the Final Four and contend ... again. Since 2010, Kentucky has won a national championship and been to the Final Four four times under John Calipari. Last year, Kentucky won 38 straight games, led the nation in every defensive category, and seemingly owned the NBA draft ... again. The haters can point to the dream of an unbeaten season dying at the hands of Wisconsin, but there is no reason to believe the No. 2 recruiting class of talented freshmen Jamal Murray, Isaiah Briscoe, Charles Matthews and Skal Labissiere won't lead Kentucky to another Final Four and title challenge.
Worst Case: If the freshmen do not play nice with Tyler Ulis, Marcus Lee and Alex Poythress, perhaps Kentucky will only win 28 games and reach the second weekend of the NCAA tournament. But that is unlikely. This group is not the bunch that played in the NIT while Nerlens Noel was on crutches. The only problem Kentucky could have will be the result of injuries and being more of a perimeter-oriented team.
"They just replace one NBA guy with another, and chemistry is the best thing that Calipari does. He brings in guys with egos and makes them a team. Last year they had four guys who shot over (30) percent from 3. I know Briscoe can shoot it, but I don't know who else can -- and I also don't know who can score around the rim."
No. 2 North Carolina | No. 4 Kansas | Full List
