Three Teams With The Best Chance To Beat Kentucky
The NCAA Tournament is going on RIGHT NOW, in all likelihood, and you've probably already turned in your bracket for your office pool (no gambling; just for fun, of course). The Kentucky Wildcats finished their season undefeated with an average adjusted margin of victory of 29.8 points per game and may just be the strongest team the school has ever seen. Should they win out, they would become the first team in NCAA history to go 40-0. The field isn't exactly filled with teams that can challenge this Kentucky squad, but there are a few potential candidates in this year's field. Here are three.
1. Wisconsin Badgers (31-3)
Wisconsin boasts an elite coach in Bo Ryan and the likely National Player of the Year Frank Kaminsky. Kentucky's biggest advantage is its size, and what better way to counter that than with a 7-foot future lottery pick? Here's more on Wisconsin, via The New York Times:
"...to say that Kaminsky is the best offensive player on the best offensive team is simply to state a fact. Adjusted for opponents, Wisconsin (31-3) scores 124.6 points per 100 offensive possessions — the best this season and, if it holds through the end, the best since at least 2002. Kaminsky leads the Badgers in points, rebounds and assists. On defense, he leads in blocks and steals."
They're good, but we'll see if they have enough.
2. Arizona Wildcats (31-3)
Again, the size thing. Arizona has a lot of strengths, as evidenced by their record, but the biggest one (literally) is big man Kaleb Tarczewski. Tarczewski is listed at seven feet tall, and Arizona would have to face Wisconsin before getting to Kentucky, meaning Tarczewski could be worn out by Frank Kaminsky by the time they have to face Kentucky's front line, but they are nonetheless equipped with the tools to stop UK.
Iowa State Cyclones (25-8)
Here's a great piece from Deadspin on why you should root for Iowa State.
Basically, if you don't have time, it's really simple: their coach, former NBA guard Fred Hoiberg, understands efficient offensive basketball. His system is based around either making threes or getting into the paint, and eliminating long two-point jump shots (the most inefficient shot in basketball). While most NBA teams have been aware of this information and have employed systems taking advantage of these inefficiencies for years, the college game has been slow to catch up. If Iowa State is hitting their shots, they will be a tough out for anyone.