Kentucky seen as most underrated team in college basketball for 2022-23 season

The Kentucky Wildcats will tip off their season in a few short weeks when the Howard Bison come to town, and for the first time in the John Calipari era they might be overlooked to start the season.

That is exactly what Kyle Boone of CBS Sports thinks as he ranked the Cats as the most underrated team in college basketball heading into the new season.

“The injury (and subsequent surgery) for reigning national player of the year Oscar Tshiebwe is a concern worth monitoring, but if healthy, Kentucky is the clear No. 1 preseason team for me,” writes Boone. “UK added a ton of shooting to address concerns from last year (Antonio Reeves and Cason Wallace can ball) and it should have some breakout vets who could be difference-makers like Jacob Toppin, CJ Fredrick and Daimion Collins.”

Alongside the Cats being the most underrated, he also listed North Carolina as the most overrated team in the country.

Now, it is hard to call a team like Kentucky underrated when they come into the season ranked as the No. 4 team in the country, according to the first AP Poll. But for Kentucky, it is clear they are one of the best squads in America.

There are some questions surrounding this team, including the health of Oscar Tshiebwe to start that season, but this is arguably one of the better mixes of experience and youth that Calipari has had in his career. If all the pieces come together, they could take over that top spot rather quickly... especially if they can pull off a win in Spokane against Gonzaga.

We have a long ways to-go until March, but the hype around this season is only continuing to grow. Should be a fun season at Rupp Arena.