More than in most other sports, the top college basketball teams usually reveal themselves early in the season due to the ever?increasing number of premier non?conference matchups that occur before Christmas. The teams that survive these early tests make a strong statement of their intentions to advance to the late stages of the NCAA Tournament.
Just take a look at last year's national champion, UConn. The Huskies came out red hot, winning 10 straight games against non?conference opponents. Of course, some of these wins were expected. UConn smacked hapless Farleigh Dickinson of the Northeast Conference 78?54 on Dec. 8 and then beat Harvard by 29 points on Dec. 22. Neither of these results sent shockwaves through the college basketball world.
But the Huskies looked very impressive against strong competition when they flew west to compete in the Maui Invitational. UConn beat Wichita State and Michigan State in the first two rounds of the event on Nov. 22?23. The next day, the Huskies played some of their best basketball of the season in an 84?67 win over a very talented Kentucky team.
Then?junior guard Kemba Walker emerged as the tournament's MVP and instantly became one of the favorites for National Player of the Year after averaging 30 points in three games in Hawaii. After leading the Huskies to the 2011 National Championship about four months later, Walker was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
So who will emerge as this season's UConn? Which traditional heavyweights have looked most impressive early on? Not surprisingly, North Carolina and Kentucky sit at No. 1 and No. 2 in the Div. I rankings. Together, they currently make up the clear top tier of college basketball. Both the Tar Heels and Wildcats look poised for excellent regular seasons and deep runs come March Madness.
Kentucky and North Carolina are both coming off excellent 2010?2011 campaigns. Kentucky went 29?9 overall, won the SEC Tournament and earned non?conference wins over top programs like Notre Dame, Indiana and Louisville. After earning a No. 4 seed in the East regional, the Wildcats won four straight tournament games before being bounced in the Final Four by UConn.
The Tar Heels were also strong, going 29?8 last season and finishing with a No. 7 ranking. The second seed in the East regional, UNC, advanced to the Elite Eight with wins over Long Island, Washington and Marquette. In the Elite Eight, North Carolina trailed Kentucky by eight, but made a strong second half push to tie the game late. The Wildcats' then?freshman guard Brandon Knight was too tough for the Tar Heels, however, as his late three?pointer put Kentucky ahead for good.
This season, North Carolina returns a ton of talent from last year's team. Senior center Tyler Zeller, junior forward John Henson and sophomore forward Harrison Barnes all tested the NBA Draft waters but decided to return to Chapel Hill for another season, enabling the Tar Heels to bring back their seven leading scorers and four leading rebounders from 2010?2011.
Expect last year's inconsistent play to be diminished by the return of so many veteran superstars.
The rich only got richer in the off?season, too, as coach Roy Williams added five incoming players to the roster. The class is highlighted by guard P.J. Hairston, who Rivals.com ranked as the 13th best incoming freshman in the nation, and forward James McAdoo, who checked in at No. 8 nationally.
One of the few programs to outdo UNC in its recruiting efforts this off?season was Kentucky. Coach John Calipari, who has consistently brought top classes to Lexington, has one of his best groups of freshmen this season. It is headlined by monstrous 6?foot?10 power forward Anthony Davis, who committed to Kentucky along with forwards Michael Kidd?Gilchrist and Kyle Wiltger and guard Marquis Teague, the younger brother of Jeff Teague, who starred at Wake Forest before being drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in 2009. They are joined by sophomore guard Ryan Harrow, who transferred to Kentucky from NC State.
Although Kentucky will rely heavily on its freshmen, the Wildcats still bring back several key contributors from last season. Sophomore forward Terrence Jones averaged 15.7 points and 8.8 rebounds as a freshman and is one of the country's toughest defenders in the paint.
On the perimeter, Kentucky returns sophomore guard Doron Lamb and senior guard Darius Miller, who both averaged double figures in scoring last season.
Like last year's Huskies, the Tar Heels and Wildcats have both passed difficult tests at the beginning of the season.
In one of the most bizarre college basketball games ever played, UNC topped Michigan State, 67?55, while playing on a makeshift court on an aircraft carrier in San Diego. The Wildcats have also looked good, beating Kansas 75?65 on Tuesday night in the Basketball Hall of Fame Tip?Off Tournament at Madison Square Garden.
If both teams remain perfect, expect the debate between North Carolina and Kentucky to rage until Dec. 3 the day the Tar Heels travel to Lexington to face off against Kentucky in what should be a classic No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown.
