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Reid Travis’ arrival was expected to bring lofty expectations for a loaded Kentucky team, and it’s already doing just that.
ESPN’s Myron Medcalf has update the “Way-Too-Early Top 25” to reflect Travis’ arrival, and Kentucky is now No. 1.
The arrival of Reid Travis gives Kentucky one of the nation’s top big men, a player who recorded 16 double-doubles last season, but has not played with the elite athletes he’ll join in Lexington.
Kentucky was formerly No. 3, with the Kansas Jayhawks at No. 1 and the Duke Blue Devils at No. 2. This jump slides those two down one spot each.
Kentucky now has depth at every position and will be a force to be reckoned with. Medcalf has an idea on how they could succeed on the floor.
With the fleet of high-level guards John Calipari will have on his roster, this lineup could resemble the North Carolina team that won the national title in 2017 by essentially grabbing every offensive rebound in sight and bullying opponents in the paint.
It’d be tough to top the 2012 National Championship team and the 38-1 team, but when it comes to the mix of talent and experience, this could be John Calipari’s best team yet. They’ll have all kinds of expectations on their shoulders this preseason.
Here’s a look at the top 10 of this poll, plus other ranked teams UK will face next season:
2. Kansas Jayhawks
3. Duke Blue Devils
11. Auburn Tigers
21. LSU Tigers
22. Mississippi State Bulldogs
It’s safe to say UK’s loaded team will be greeted with a loaded schedule next season.