Notes: North Carolina at Kentucky

1. The rest of the NCAA can breathe a sigh of relief - Anthony Davis is human. While he blocked John Henson's shot with five seconds remaining to seal the win for the Wildcats, Davis had a pretty pedestrian game (7 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 steals). Davis is the most talented player in the country, but the Tar Heels have now provided a blueprint on how to slow down Davis. The trick - put a body on him. Be physical with his 6-10 220-pound frame. And, no matter what, don't leave him when penetration occurs or when the ball enters the post. Because, if you leave him to play help defense or if you fail to keep a body on him, Kentucky is going to lob it to Davis for an easy two. The Tar Heels defended Davis as well as anyone could hope to, and I expect other teams to adopt this approach going forward. Of course, most teams don't have a John Henson or a Tyler Zeller, so this strategy will, at best, slow down Davis. Then again, slowing down Davis is kind of best-case scenario at this point.

2. Anthony Davis is a future number one pick, and Terrence Jones is a preseason All-American, but Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was Kentucky's best player on Saturday. Kidd-Gilchrist was fantastic, scoring 17 points, grabbing 11 boards, slashing to the basket, and, as usual, playing with unmatched energy on both ends of the floor.

3. The season is still young, but, at this point, Marquis Teague does not appear to be in the same league as Derrick Rose, Tyreke Evans, John Wall, or Brandon Knight. And, to be honest, I'm not sure it's fair to hold Teague to the standard set by those four. Unfortunately for Teague, the comparisons are inevitable given John Calipari's track record with freshman floor generals. Teague struggled against the Tar Heels and exhibited the poor decisionmaking that has plagued him so far this year. The freshman point guard appears to be more of a gunner than a playmaker. Complicating matters, Kentucky has looked better with sophomore Doron Lamb running the point. While there may be a temptation to remove Teague from the lineup, I would advise against any such move. Doron Lamb is Kentucky's best shooter and has one of the country's best mid-range games. Coach Cal needs Lamb running off screens and receiving the ball on the wing. Moving Lamb to the point would leave Kentucky without a sharpshooting wing and would stunt Teague's development. If Kentucky is going to win an eighth National Championship, Teague will have to improve. However, with the talent surrounding him, he doesn't have to be the next John Wall.

4. North Carolina, everyone's preseason number one, now has two losses. These early setbacks have exposed some of UNC's vulnerabilities, but I think the Tar Heels performed well on the road against Kentucky. The good news for UNC fans is that the Tar Heels are a very good team that has room for improvement. Yes, Harrison Barnes has a deadly outside shot, but he could start taking the ball to the hole more often. Sophomore Reggie Bullock and freshmen P.J. Hairston and James McAdoo will continue to develop over the course of the season. After a disappointing freshman campaign, Bullock looks to be gaining confidence, and I expect him to overtake Dexter Strickland by season's end. I love Hairston's game. He's a big-bodied two-guard with a nice stroke who provides instant offense off the bench. McAdoo is a top-flight athlete who really runs the floor well. He's still learning on the offensive end but is an active defender who will provide the Tar Heels with yet another long post defender.

5. So, who's number one? Kentucky or Ohio State? Kentucky has more talent. Ohio State has more depth. Kentucky has the most talented player in the country. Ohio State has the nation's best player. The Wildcats beat Kansas by 10 on a neutral floor and edged North Carolina by 1. Ohio State beat Florida by 7 and dismantled Duke, beating the Blue Devils by 22. I would probably give the edge to Kentucky for now but just barely.