Kentucky wins #8.

The Kentucky Wildcats are the 2011-12 National Champions. After knocking off rival Louisville in the Final Four and then topping Kansas in the championship game, the Wildcats took home title number eight. It was an incredibly impressive season for the Cats. They began the 2011-12 campaign as the co-favorite (along with North Carolina) to win the title. With the Tar Heels stumbling in the early going, John Calipari's squad was pretty much the best team in the country from beginning to end. Kentucky dropped a game at Assembly Hall in Bloomington to the Hoosiers in December and lost a second game in the SEC tourney against a Vanderbilt team it had already beaten twice before. Outside of those two hiccups, UK was dominant from start to finish. Anthony Davis was the best player in the country and one of the best defenders the college game has ever seen. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, one of the country's fiercest competitors, had a spectacular freshman year in his own right. Terrence Jones failed to live up to his preseason accolades but put together a very solid season. Doron Lamb continued to be one of the craftiest scorers in the NCAAs. Darius Miller provided savvy veteran leadership, became one of the college ranks' most dependable crunch-time performers, and proved to be a player capable of playing at the next level. While Marquis Teague struggled in the early part of the season, he finished the year as the National Champions' very capable floor general. And Calipari, regardless of what his detractors may say about his methods and his vacated trips to the Final Four, put together one of the five best coaching jobs of the 2011-12 season. Sure, he had a ton of talent, but he also molded a group of freshmen and sophomores into a championship caliber team in about eight months. And he had this group of future first-round picks playing selfless, ego-less basketball. The Wildcats' chemistry was undeniable. They put forth as much effort on defense as on offense. They deferred to one another, seemed to genuinely enjoy playing with each other, and improved as the season progressed. And then, after the Cats put the finishing touch on their masterpiece of a season, Lexington went apeshit.

Notes: Louisville at Kentucky

1. What I'm getting ready to write is being written by pretty much everyone covering college basketball in the aftermath of the Cards-Cats contest. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is playing like a first team All-American. Anthony Davis has received more hype (which he's actually lived up to in large part), but Kidd-Gilchrist deserves the same amount of attention for the way he is playing. I'm not sure what's been more impressive about MKG's play - the effort he brings every single game on every single possession or the fact that he scores as much as he does without dominating the ball.

2. MKG's 24 and 19 was spectacular, and his play of late has been just about flawless. Still, I think Anthony Davis is the most important Wildcat. After foul trouble sidelined him for much of the first half, Davis finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 blocks. Put simply, Davis is a singular talent. There are no substitutes for his shot-blocking and ability to play above the rim.

3. Kentucky got the better of the Cards on Saturday and is the better team. But Louisville fans need not fret. Rick Pitino's squad held one of the four best teams in the country to 29.8% shooting from the field on its home court. If the Cards can develop any semblance of effectiveness in their halfcourt offense to go along with one of the nation's premiere defenses, they are going to be very difficult to beat.

4. Louisville's level of talent has been much-maligned in recent weeks as a result of the Cardinals' undefeated start and the inevitable comparisons to the heavyweights of the 2011-12 campaign - Syracuse, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Ohio State. While the Cards' talent level pales in comparison to the talent possessed by the top 4 teams in the country, I like their roster compared to just about everyone else, save perhaps Connecticut. Peyton Siva is a steady hand at point guard, and Kyle Kuric is a well-rounded player who can knock down the three and finish on the break. That much we knew coming into the season. Additionally, Chase Behanan, despite a number of bone-headed mistakes against the Cats, has lived up to his billing as one of the Big East's top freshmen. The surprises have come in the form of the emergence of sophomores Gorgui Dieng, one of the nation's most improved players and best shot blockers, and Russ Smith, quickly becoming a source of instant offense off the bench and a player who can create his own shot. The Cards also have a number of injured players who are working themselves back into the rotation or should be returning in the near future.

5. Terrence Jones is costing himself a lot of money with his play thus far this season. He was a likely lottery pick had he left after his freshman season, but he's not playing like a first round pick right now. He collected 11 rebounds and 3 steals, so it's not as if he was a non-factor on Saturday. That being said, 2 points in 30 minutes is just not enough production from a preseason first-team All-American - even one nursing an injured finger. Needless to say this is not the type of season Jones hoped for when he decided to return to Lexington.

Notes: Kentucky at Indiana

1. Heading into the game, I would have predicted a double-digit victory by Kentucky. I'm very surprised by the result. Just from a talent standpoint alone, Indiana had no business winning this game. That being said, the loss can be chalked up to a few factors. Indiana played harder. Kentucky has essentially a six-man rotation and had no answer when freshman wunderkind Anthony Davis had to sit with fouls. Kentucky is a young, undefeated team playing on the road in a hostile environment against a very hungry team. Oh, and Indiana is even better than I thought.

2. Where did that come from, Christian Watford? Watford, who has been solid but by no means spectacular during his time in Bloomington, gave Indiana fans what they had hoped for when Watford committed to the Hoosiers as a highly touted prospect out of Birmingham. The 6-9 junior with the sophisticated offensive game and sweet stroke poured in 20 points, went 4 for 6 from beyond the arc, hit the game-winning shot, and thoroughly outplayed preseason All-American Terrence Jones.

3. Speaking of Jones, the 6-9 250-pound sophomore is not playing like an All-American (and that was the case before today's disappearing act). I'm not sure exactly what was going on with him today, but Jones appeared to sulk his way to four points, six turnovers, and a single rebound against the Hoosiers. Jones is fully capable of taking over a game with his physical play, but, as we saw today, when he lacks focus, he disrupts the flow of the Kentucky offense and provides little on the defensive end.

4. Cody Zeller is big, white, and, goofy, which mean he's going to be made fun of and doubted. But he's also an extremely skilled big man and one of the five best freshman in the country. He finished with 11 and 7 today, as compared to Anthony Davis' 6 and 9. Zeller certainly benefited from Anthony Davis' foul trouble, but he more than held his own against the country's most talented player.

5. Prior to the start of the season, I thought Kentucky might have a deeper bench than they had last season. I'm not so sure now. Kentucky's starting five is as talented as any starting five in the country, and Darius Miller is a very good sixth man. However, beyond those top six, the pickings are slim. Eloy Vargas is a big body but also a liability on both ends of the floor. Freshman McDonald's All-American Kyle Wiltjer looks tentative and frail. I expect Wiltjer to be a good college player but not this year. Help may be on the way in the form of Mississippi State transfer Twany Beckham who will be available at the semester break. However, Beckham played sparingly during his time in Starkville, averaging less than 3 points per contest in 47 games with the Bulldogs. It's looking more and more like Coach Cal will have to make due with a six-man rotation, which will cause problems when fouls become a factor.

6. Even with a pretty poor performance today in Bloomington, Kentucky should be rated no worse than third when the next set of rankings comes out. For its part, Indiana is a top 25 team and may be deserving of a top 15 ranking.

2011-12 Preseason All-American Team

Jordan Taylor - Wisconsin Sr
John Jenkins - Vanderbilt Jr
Harrison Barnes - North Carolina Soph
Terrence Jones - Kentucky Soph
Jared Sullinger - Ohio State Soph

*Xavier Senior Tu Holloway just misses the cut.

Freshman Power Rankings 3.0

1. Jared Sullinger, Ohio State, 6-9 280
Buckeye frosh is nation's most dominant player and a huge reason why Thad Matta's squad is ranked number one in the country.
previous rank: 1

2. Terrence Jones, Kentucky, 6-8 245
Versatile big brings to mind Tim Thomas.
previous rank: 3

3. Brandon Knight, Kentucky, 6-3 185
The kid's a lottery pick, and the whole country would realize how fantastic he's been if we weren't so busy comparing him to John Wall.
previous rank: 5

4. Tristan Thompson, Texas, 6-8 225
Thompson, who plays bigger than his measurements would suggest, more than held his own against the Morris twins in the Longhorns' victory at the Phog.
previous rank: 7

5. Tobias Harris, Tennessee, 6-8 220
With all due respect to Scotty Hopson, Tobias Harris is the Vols' best player, and he needs more touches.
previous rank: 4

6. Cory Joseph, Texas, 6-3 185
Joseph's heady play at the point is the biggest reason Texas has bounced back from last year's mess of a season.
previous rank: NR

7. Bruce Ellington, South Carolina, 5-9, 195
While Ellington isn't quite Devan Downey at this early stage of his career, he's doing his best impression.
previous rank: NR

8. Perry Jones, Baylor, 6-10 220
Scott Drew's prized recruit is putting up nice numbers for an underachieving team, but we're getting close to over-hyped territory with young Perry.
previous rank: 6

9. Josh Selby, Kansas, 6-2 185
Selby is still working out the kinks after missing the first nine games of the season, but his explosiveness is evident.
previous rank: NR

10. Doron Lamb, Kentucky, 6-4 195
That the sweet-shooting New York product is the tenth best freshman in the country and only the third best freshman in Lexington is a testament to Coach Cal's recruiting prowess.
previous rank: NR

Exits: Kyrie Irving (Duke), J.T. Terrell (Wake Forest), Harrison Barnes (North Carolina), DeShaun Thomas (Ohio State)

Freshman Power Rankings 2.0

1. Jared Sullinger, Ohio State, 6-8 260
Would have retained the top spot even if he hadn't exploded for 40 points against IUPUI.
previous rank: 1

2. Kyrie Irving, Duke, 6-2 175
If reports that Irving will miss the rest of the season with a toe injury are true, we've been robbed of the chance to watch a very special point guard play at the college level.
previous rank: 9

3. Terrence Jones, Kentucky, 6-8 245
Jones, averaging 20 and 10 for the Wildcats, is tougher and plays with more heart than I expected.
previous rank: NR

4. Tobias Harris, Tennessee, 6-8 220
Harris has replaced Tyler Smith and J.P. Prince as the Vols' point-forward.
previous rank: 5

5. Brandon Knight, Kentucky, 6-3 185
Knight has had some early struggles running the Wildcat offense but has no problem scoring.
previous rank: 3

6. Perry Jones, Baylor, 6-10 220
Versatile big man has talent scouts salivating.
previous rank: NR

7. Tristan Thompson, Texas, 6-9 240
Longhorn frosh is second on team in scoring, tied for lead in rebounding, averages 2.4 blocks per contest, and has a ton of upside.
previous rank: 6

8. J.T. Terrell, Wake Forest, 6-4 175
Fearless two-guard leads Demon Deacons in scoring and is doing his best to keep a program teetering on the brink of decline respectable.
previous rank: NR

9. Harrison Barnes, North Carolina, 6-7 210
Most hyped freshman in the land disappears for stretches and has been altogether underwhelming.
previous rank: 2

10. Deshaun Thomas, Ohio State, 6-6 230
Fort Wayne-product is super-efficient on offensive end and would be ranked even higher if not for lackluster outings against Florida State and IUPUI.
previous rank: NR

Exits: Joe Jackson (Memphis), Josh Selby (Kansas), Adreian Payne (Michigan State), Reggie Bullock (North Carolina)

Thoughts on the Jordan Brand All-Star Game

We can only glean so much from high school all-star games, but I'm sure as hell not going to waste my time watching no-hitters and historic pitching duels when I can see a bunch of giant minors refuse to play defense. My reaction to the Jordan Classic:

More of the Same…..

Jared Sullinger continues to look impressive. If you want to be critical of him, he does seem to have a lot Samardo Samuels in him, in that he tends to play below the rim. That’s really more of an NBA concern, though, and Sullinger should do just fine in the barbaric Big Ten.

I wish Terrence Jones was my son. He seems able to do everything…like a great big Swiss Army knife.

Harrison Barnes is a whole bunch of awesome, and he doesn’t care if you’re already sick of hearing about it. He had 20 points and 15 rebounds and shared co-MVP honors with Kyrie Irving.

Josh Selby announced that he’s going to Kansas. I really don’t know enough about the off-the-court allegations to judge him or make predictions about how he’ll work out based on that sort of thing. What I do think is that Selby is the most dynamic scorer in the entire class. He’s explosive, confident, and creative with the rock. He also picked a great school because Kansas has used shoot-first point guards with great success in the past. That said, there is a whole lot of mustard in his game, and he’s going to have to reign it in to help Kansas be successful.

Jay Williams seemed very impressed with Duke signee Kyrie Irving. The Admiral has pontificated on this point in the past, and I’ll steal his intellectual property for the purpose of this post. Coach K was embraced and lauded by Kobe, LeBron, et. al, following the Team USA Olympic experience. That seems to have given Coach K some sort of “street cred” that he had been lacking for a few years. Irving is the sort of player that Duke had been unable to corral since the likes of Jay Williams left Durham. He has shown that he is athletic, sharp-shooting, competitive, and from all indications, very coachable. Duke will miss a lot about Scheyer, but Irving will be a nice replacement, and one that should not take three years to develop.

Minor Revelations…..

C.J. Leslie’s motor is almost as impressive as his athleticism. He’s also got a much a better handle than I would have expected. If he play All-Star games exclusively, I think he might be one of the top three players in the class. I think his biggest issue is mental lapses. If his college coach can get him focused on playing through every possession, Leslie could be a potential one and done.

Will Barton was rated as one of the top prospects in the country going into the 2010-11 season, but curiously did not get selected for the McDonald’s Game. I figured his stock dropped a little for whatever reason. Whoever dropped his stock has his head up his ass. Barton can score in a variety of ways. Last night he showed that he has no problem scoring in traffic. Maybe his slight frame makes him a defensive liability? I didn’t see it last night, because nobody played any defense, but Barton has long arms and appears bigger than his listed height. Plus he wears an arm sleeve, and I’m pretty sure you have to be pretty damn good to pull off one of those things.

Grading the Performances from the High School All-Star Games

The high school all-star games are typically the first chance we get to see the highly-anticipated crop of incoming freshmen showcase their skills amongst equals. It's important not to get too carried away with showings in these games considering the national rankings are based on four plus years of organized high school competition and the gauntlet of AAU debauchery. Nonetheless, these games are the best fodder we have for the upcoming season of college bball, so we must acknowledge them. I listed a few of my winners and losers based on performances at the McDonald's game:

WINNERS

Harrison Barnes: This guy could not play anywhere but UNC. His game will be described as smooth so many times next year that it will make everyone sick (Brett Favre is a gunslinger and Jerome Bettis is from Detroit). The best part about Barnes is that his game is EXACTLY what UNC lacked last year. As the Admiral aptly noted, Larry Drew has been the whipping boy of Raleigh, but that is not completely fair. Drew obviously isn't as good as Ray Felton or Ty Lawson, but Ole Roy found a way to win a lot of games without those guys over the last twenty years. Barnes showed range, high basketball IQ, and an NBA-ready physique. I kind of felt the same about Xavier Henry last year, but hopefully Barnes doesn't prove to be as off-putting as Xavier.

Jared Sullinger: Sully was right at home at the McDonald's game, and put on quite a show for his strong contingency of fans. I was impressed until I got a little deja vu recalling Felipe Lopez's McDonald's performance in NYC before four disappointing years at St. John's. Dare I speculate that Sullinger is the type of man the Admiral would love to build his team around. Big, physical, and skilled. He's going to be a force in the Big Ten, and the knock on him coming out of college will probably be whether he is athletic enough to bang with NBA bigs. For the time being though, he looks impressive.

Tobias Harris: Harris got hurt in the McDonald's game, and will probably be out of commission for several weeks, so the fact that I included him as a "winner" is a testament to how impressed I was with him. Harris was bigger, more athletic, and more skilled than I anticipated. I think that after Barnes, he projects as the best NBA prospect in the class right now. Bruce Pearl has yet to actually develop an NBA prospect, so hopefully for Harris's sake, he hasn't already peaked.

Terrence Jones: I loved the efficiency and versatility of his game. Jones can shoot, put the ball on the floor, rebound, and pass. He seemed to have a high basketball IQ, and although he only grabbed three rebounds, his reputation as a solid rebounder gets him a pass for that game. Besides, who rebounds in all-star games? That's bush league.

LOSERS

Brandan Knight: Knight made the same mistake that many top flight players do at the McDonald's game. He tried to use it as a forum to show that criticisms of his game are unfounded. Therefore, he took way too many threes to try to prove that he's a shooter. He should have just played his game and found open teammates, and he would have been fine. The game-winning shot was a nice touch, though. If it's any consolation, I predicted that Mike Conley, Jr. and Jordan Farmar would be complete busts in college after underwhelming McDonald's performances. Unless I'm mistaken, neither of those guys finished a season in which his team failed to make the Final Four. If you're still reading this after that revelation, then you're probably just an old friend of mine. Thanks, I appreciate your loyalty.

While on the subject of Knight, I will get an obligatory dig in on the Worldwide Leader, if I may. ESPN re-ranked the top prospects and dropped Knight behind Kyrie Irving after the McDonald's game. That's kind of like when they dropped John Wall behind Avery Bradley and Favors after the McDonald's game last year. Sidebar: ESPN owns rights to the McDonald's game but not the Hoop Summit Game. Ergo, (in my humble opinion) in ESPN's eyes, great performances in the Hoop Summit game pale in comparison to putting on a show for the ESPN audience at the Hamburger Classic. It was fun watching ESPN repeatedly referring to John Wall as the third ranked player in the ESPN top 100 last winter when Wall became a national sensation. Hopefully Knight, who seems like a great kid, enjoys similar success.

Keith Appling: Apparently Appling has a scorer's mentality. He took fifteen shots in seventeen minutes in the McDonald's game, and may have actually played so selfishly, that remaining recruits would go out of their way to avoid standing around and watching Appling next season in East Lansing. Izzo hasn't had too much trouble with people playing for themselves instead of his team, but he's going to have a tall task in getting Appling to learn a thing or two about shot selection.J