Sporting News ranks Kentucky as the No. 1 team in preseason poll

Another preseason college basketball poll is released, and the Kentucky Wildcats are once again named as the No. 1 team.

The Sporting News released their updated top 25 ranking for the 2018-2019 year on Thursday, and writer Mike DeCourcy believes the Cats are the best of the best.

Kentucky and Kansas have been the top dogs in nearly every poll released in the preseason, often joining Duke and Gonzaga somewhere in the top 5. DeCourcy had this to say about the Wildcats heading into the season:

“Why they’re here: In a season that will not rank among the most talent-rich in modern college basketball history, UK certainly qualifies as loaded. The decision of former Pac-10 star Travis to join the Wildcats as a graduate transfer has given the team nine starting-quality players, which will cause some challenges for coach John Calipari in terms of building a style and rotation that works to maximize their abilities. One thing that was noticeable in the team’s playing trip to the Bahamas was how effective both Washington and Travis played in the high post. As the five talented freshmen develop, there is a chance for UK to be oppressive on defense.”

All signs point to this being a special season in Lexington, but several other programs find themselves set up for success as well. That includes SEC foes Tennessee, Auburn, Mississippi State, and LSU who all appear in the top 25 as well.

Sporting News College Basketball Top 25 Poll

1. Kentucky Wildcats
2. Kansas Jayhawks
3. Gonzaga Bulldogs
4. Duke Blue Devils
5. Virginia Cavaliers
6. North Carolina Tar Heels
7. Tennessee Volunteers
8. Villanova Wildcats
9. Nevada Wolf Pack
10. Michigan Wolverines
11. Auburn Tigers
12. Michigan State Spartans
13. Kansas State Wildcats
14. UCLA Bruins
15. Oregon Ducks
16. Virginia Tech Hokies
17. Syracuse Orange
18. Mississippi State Bulldogs
19. Florida State Seminoles
20. LSU Tigers
21. Maryland Terrapins
22. Clemson Tigers
23. Cincinnati Bearcats
24. West Virginia Mountaineers
25. Arizona Wildcats

Basketball season is on the horizon, my friends. Then we will find out how wrong all of these lists really were.