STATE YOUR CASE
Tyler Huskinson
It may seem a bit early in the NCAA college basketball season to be debating who is the true number one in college basketball. The No. 1 in the AP and ESPN Coaches Poll is none other than John Calipari’s Kentucky Wildcats, but it’s who is currently sitting in the No. 2 spot in both polls who is the true No. 1 team in the Nation.
The Tigers are undersized, as they rank 303th in height among Division-I schools, and they are terrible in rebounds per game due to their size (214th). Despite the struggle to rebound the ball and the height disadvantage, Missouri has managed to average 83 points per game (4th), and it is No. 2 in the nation in field goal percentage (50.9).
We may never know who the better team truly is, as it is best decided in a head-to-head battle, and anything can happen during March Madness, but Missouri will surely be one of those teams that play late into March and maybe even April.
– ty.d.hus@aggiemail.usu.edu
Curtis Lundstrom
The Kentucky Wildcats are the best team in the country right now. At 19-1, they have earned the top spot in the polls for a reason.
The Wildcats boast five players who are averaging double digits in scoring this season and a sixth man averaging 9.9 points per game. That is what you call stability and balance. Doron Lamb is shooting 47 percent from the 3-point line, and Anthony Davis is shooting 63 percent from the field.
Now add Micheal Kidd-Gilchrist, Terrance Jones and Marquis Teague, who each pose a threat on the court. Throw in the fact that three of those five players are freshmen and the other two are sophomores, and it makes it that much more impressive.
The Wildcats have beaten two teams that were ranked in the Top 5 — North Carolina and Louisville. They defeated Kansas, who is now ranked No. 5 in the nation. Kentucky’s only loss came on the road at Indiana, which is No. 16 in the country.
Kentucky is playing the best — and most consistent — basketball in the country at this point in the season.
– curtis.lundstrom@aggiemail.usu.edu