These teams are good, but each has something that could derail it

ByDANA O'NEIL
October 31, 2016, 3:00 PM

— -- Duke has experience and young talent to spare. Kentucky has reloaded yet again. Kansas doesn't appear to have a weakness. Defending national champion Villanova looks a whole lot like last year's team and Oregon is good enough to break the West Coast title drought.

At least that's what the nation's top teams -- as selected by the Associated Press poll, released Monday -- look like on paper.

However, while every team is (as coaches love to remind us) undefeated this time of year, none are flawless. As good as they appear, each has a potential Achilles' heel that could trip it up between now and an April 3 date at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, site of this year's Final Four.

Here's a look at the Top 25 teams and their potential fatal flaws:

1. Duke Blue Devils
No true point guard . Harry Giles' iffy status is understandably the most-publicized concern, but presumably the freshman will return at some point. In his absence, a returning and healthy Amile Jefferson, plus Marques Bolden, should be able to hold down the fort. What won't change is that there is no natural point guard on this roster -- again. Matt Jones handled the job last year. Freshman Frank Jackson likely will this year. Both are capable, but neither is a natural-born point.

2. Kentucky Wildcats
Experience . This, of course, could be an annual report, but these Cats are especially young. Isaiah Briscoe is the only player on the entire roster to have averaged more than 20 minutes per game. The NCAA tournament has proved to Kentucky that, more often than not, experience wins out -- see Joe Mazzulla, Shabazz Napier, Frank Kaminsky and Yogi Ferrell.

3. Kansas Jayhawks
Post play . Truthfully, this is nit-picking. There really aren't any obvious flaws with Kansas, a team so loaded it's easy to make a case for it to earn the top ranking. But if there's a hole, it's underneath. Freshman Josh Jackson, arguably the best player in the nation, should take care of most of the issues from his forward position, but the only obvious "weakness" is just how good Landen Lucas and Carlton Bragg can be inside.

4. Villanova Wildcats
Inside presence . Jay Wright's long-time love of guard play masks just how reliable his big men have been. Will Sheridan, Dante Cunningham and Daniel Ochefu got the Wildcats to the Elite Eight, Final Four and national title. None were superstars. All three served as the perfect complement to their sweet-shooting teammates. With Ochefu gone and freshman Omari Spellman ineligible, it comes down to how good Darryl Reynolds, with help from Eric Paschall, can be.

5. Oregon Ducks
Dillon Brooks' status . No West Coast team has won a national title since 1997 (and that was Arizona, sort of a West Coast stretch). These Ducks are good enough to end the streak. If ... Brooks, out since foot surgery in August, is able and ready for Oregon to reach its expectations. He's that critical -- but realize there is a difference between able and ready. Even if Brooks can return to the lineup soon, it's not fair to expect him immediately to be the same dynamic player he was as a sophomore.

6. North Carolina Tar Heels
Leadership . At ACC media day, Roy Williams quipped, "I'm going to steal Rick Pitino's line: 'Marcus Paige and Brice Johnson aren't walking through that door.'' The Tar Heels return a wealth of talent and experience at virtually every position. What they don't have is someone to take charge. Paige and Johnson split the duties last season, revving up a team that often needed a kick in the pants. It's up to Joel Berry II, Nate Britt or Kennedy Meeks to fill that role now.

7. Xavier Musketeers
An obvious point guard . With Myles Davis suspended indefinitely, the Musketeers have so many pieces and so many great scorers -- Edmond Sumner, Trevon Bluiett, Quentin Goodin -- but no obvious ball handler. Someone has to direct this very talented team.

8. Virginia Cavaliers
Not mastering the Pack Line. In the topsy-turvy world of college basketball, the Cavaliers' defense is old reliable, but with five newcomers and two guys who sat out last season, there are a lot of new faces learning how to play Tony Bennett's style. Can they master it well and quickly? That's the big question for Virginia.

9. Wisconsin Badgers
Rebounding . With virtually everyone back for the Badgers, it's fair to assume last year's problems will be this year's issues. The gaping hole a season ago was on the boards. Wisconsin ranked 233rd in total rebounds and just 288th in defensive boards. In what looks to be a beastly Big Ten, that might not be good enough.

10. Arizona Wildcats
Allonzo Trier's status . Rumors continue to swirl regarding Trier's eligibility; he was a conspicuous no-show at Pac-12 media day, and Sean Miller refused to comment. If he cannot play this season, it is a huge blow to the Wildcats. Trier averaged 14.5 points as a freshman and is expected to do even more this year.

11.? Indiana Hoosiers
Point guard . The Hoosiers wisely won't try to replace Yogi Ferrell with one guy because, honestly, they can't. Instead, Tom Crean has said the point guard essentially will be whoever gets the ball after a made basket. Can that committee -- led by Josh Newkirk and James Blackmon Jr. -- be good enough to direct Indiana?

12. Michigan State Spartans
Depth in scoring . Miles Bridges, who scored 33 in the Spartans' exhibition game against Northwood, is going to be terrific. But after that, Michigan State has players who are capable of scoring but have never been asked to consistently contribute. That group includes Lourawls "Tum Tum" Nairn Jr., Kenny Goins and Matt McQuaid. The real key could be Eron Harris, who absolutely has to put up numbers regularly for the Spartans to succeed.

13. Louisville Cardinals
Rim protection . Underhanded free-throws aside, Chinanu Onuaku was a vital piece in the Cardinals' puzzle -- he could rebound, block shots and essentially take up space down low. With Onuaku gone, Louisville is going to have to rely on a committee of players -- headlined by Mangok Mathiang -- to do that work.

14. Gonzaga Bulldogs
Frontcourt . Domantas Sabonis is in the NBA. Przemek Karnowski is returning from December back surgery. Jonathan Williams is a transfer from Missouri. Zach Collins is a talented freshman. If Karnowski is back to his old form, if Williams slides in easily and if Collins adjusts quickly, this question mark has a much better answer.

15. Purdue Boilermakers
Ballhandling . The Boilermakers' total collapse against Arkansas-Little Rock in the NCAA tournament turned the harsh glare on the team's biggest issue. The Boilers coughed up the ball 18 times in that game, including three times in the final three minutes. Loaded with talent and a ridiculously strong frontcourt, Purdue has to take better care of the basketball to enjoy better results this year.

16.? UCLA Bruins
Backcourt harmony . Lonzo Ball is a terrific playmaker who should have the ball in his hands. Bryce Alford is used to having the ball in his hands. If they, along with Aaron Holiday, are all happy, the Bruins should be good. If not, there could be trouble in Westwood. It also would help if, on occasion, UCLA could actually stop the other team from scoring.

17. Saint Mary's Gaels
Legit prep . The Gaels have what many consider Randy Bennett's best team in years, one destined to break a three-year NCAA tournament drought. But Saint Mary's also is playing what can best be described as a meh nonconference schedule, one that will only make people question the Gaels' legitimacy and, worse, do little to prep them for the rigors of March.

18. UConn Huskies
Youth . Much of the Huskies' preseason hype assumes that the five newcomers, plus VCU transfer Terry Larrier, slide easily into the lineup and into productive roles. If Larrier, Alterique Gilbert, Vance Jackson and Co. can do that, UConn will be very good. "If" being the operative word.

19. Syracuse Orange
Defense . The Orange's upgrades (especially adding Nebraska grad transfer Andrew White) all have been with offense in mind. Still, the team's biggest weakness last year was transition defense. White, freshman Tyus Battle and grad transfer John Gillon need to be as adept at stopping the ball as scoring the ball.

20. West Virginia Mountaineers
Turnovers . As great as "Press Virginia" was in creating havoc, the Mountaineers were equally adept in shooting themselves in the foot. WVU averaged 14 turnovers a game, the miscues practically negating the work the press did.

21. Texas Longhorns
Perimeter shooting . Shaka Smart has beefed up his interior, especially with the addition of underrated freshman big man Jarrett Allen. The Longhorns still need someone to score from outside. Isaiah Taylor did much of that work last year, but he's gone. Oh, and Texas still ranked 202nd in 3-point shooting.

22. Creighton Bluejays
Offensive rebounding . With Mo Watson and Marcus Foster, the Bluejays have plenty of great scorers and a ridiculously good backcourt. But someone has to be able to work the glass. Creighton wasn't terribly adept at that last season and has no obvious returner to make things better this season.

23. Rhode Island Rams
Expectations . With E.C. Matthews healthy, Indiana transfer Stanford Robinson healthy, and? Kuran Iverson and Hassan Martin ready to go, all signs point to a big year for the Rams, with most everyone already inking URI in its first NCAA tournament since 1999. But pressure can make for a terrible opponent.

24. Iowa State Cyclones
Frontcourt play . The Cyclones could very easily -- and very effectively -- run a four-guard offense, with dazzling point guard Monte Morris running the show. But at some point the bigs will have to step up. Without Jameel McKay, Georges Niang and Abdel Nader, that will be considerably more difficult to do. Louisiana Tech grad transfer Merrill Holden and Northern Illinois grad transfer Darrell Bowie could be key.

25. Maryland Terrapins
Too much on Melo . Jake Layman, Diamond Stone, Robert Carter and Rasheed Sulaimon are gone, leaving Melo Trimble as the lone man bearing the weight of expectations on this Terrapins team. In the meantime, Trimble, who was terrific as a freshman and less so as a sophomore, is still trying to find his own way.