KU, UK top college basketball preseason power rankings

ByJEFF BORZELLO
October 19, 2018, 10:26 PM

The college basketball preseason is just a little bit better when there's a debate for No. 1, isn't it?

Last year, the preseason favorite heading into the season was pretty clear. Arizona and Michigan State had strong cases, but once Marvin Bagley III decided in August to join Duke, the Blue Devils became the front-runners nationally.

This summer saw something similar. It didn't draw the headlines of Bagley to Duke, but Reid Travis' decision on June 20 to graduate from Stanford and play his final season at Kentucky had similar ramifications. Suddenly, the Wildcats were a legitimate contender for preseason No. 1 -- but not the clear-cut favorite.

Gonzaga will be a major title factor this season, and Duke's incoming freshmen give the Blue Devils perhaps the highest ceiling in the country. Even Nevada has high-level talent throughout its roster. But there are two teams a notch above the rest heading into the 2018-19 campaign: Kentucky and Kansas.

Kentucky's hopes lie mainly on freshmen. The Wildcats do bring back  PJ Washington and Quade Green from last season's starting lineup, and Travis gives John Calipari a go-to-guy in the post, but their success this season will depend on its No. 2-ranked recruiting class. Immanuel Quickley, Ashton Hagans, Keldon Johnson and  EJ Montgomery were all five-star recruits, and  Tyler Herro generated buzz in the offseason and could make a bigger impact than expected.

Kansas, meanwhile, has been banking on its sit-out transfers since the spring of 2017. The marquee addition is former Memphis forward Dedric Lawson, who was one of the most productive players in the country two seasons ago. His brother,  K.J., and former California point guard Charlie Moore enter the fold. Of course, Bill Self has his own collection of blue-chip recruits, especially guards  Quentin Grimes and  Devon Dotson. Starters Lagerald Vick and Udoka Azubuike are also back.

A decade ago, it would have been unheard of for teams that lost four draft picks (Kentucky) and a first-team All-American (Kansas, Devonte Graham) to be fighting over the No. 1 spot. But make no mistake, both teams are loaded.

So how do we differentiate between the two?

Right now, it comes down to versatility, balance and experience -- and Kansas just has more of it. The Jayhawks have three guys who can play point guard; they can go more standard with the Lawson brothers at the forward spots and Marcus Garrett or Vick at the 2; or they can go jumbo with Azubuike and Silvio De Sousa up front and Dedric Lawson also on the floor. Self is just spoiled for choice -- and he has eight guys with college experience in his rotation. Grimes might be the best incoming guard in the country, but neither he nor Dotson will need to rush to get acclimated.

There's certainly room for debate, though.

Circle Jan. 26 on your calendar. Kansas visits Lexington in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge. This argument will be settled there -- and potentially again on April 8 in Minneapolis.