Jay Bilas snubs UK from National Championship Contender List

Jay Bilas has released another Bilas Index on ESPN Insider, this time picking out the seven teams that he thinks can win the National Championship. Somewhat surprisingly, Kentucky is not on the list. Here are his top seven teams:

1. North Carolina Tar Heels

2. Villanova Wildcats

3. Kansas Jayhawks

4. Oregon Ducks

5. UCLA Bruins

6. Louisville Cardinals

7. Gonzaga Bulldogs

It’s surprising that Kentucky doesn’t even make the top seven despite beating the No. 1 team on the list.

The next thing you will hear is that 25 teams or more can make the Final Four. That is downright silly. That means that six or more teams can make the Final Four out of each region. No way. Think about it.

For what it’s worth, Bilas has Kentucky in his “Elite Eight” section, slotted at No. 10.

8. Duke Blue Devils

9. Arizona Wildcats

10. Kentucky Wildcats

11. Baylor Bears

12. Butler Bulldogs

13. Florida State Seminoles

14. Purdue Boilermakers

15. West Virginia Mountaineers

16. Cincinnati Bearcats

17. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

18. Florida Gators

19. SMU Mustangs

It makes sense to be skeptical over whether or not Kentucky can win it all. They’ve had plenty of rough patches this year. But it’s odd to not even see them as one of the seven best teams in the nation when they’re going to have a legitimate shot at a No. 1 seed if they win the SEC Tournament.