A familiar feeling is back in the Bluegrass, the Kentucky Wildcats are once again on top of the rankings.
Kentucky spent the entire 2014-15 college basketball season ranked number one, eventually falling in the final week. The new edition of the Wildcats returned to glory atop the rankings thanks to a loss from then number one North Carolina Tar Heels.
Now with everybody looking at Kentucky once again, this team has to make it clear they deserve their spot. A double-digit win over the Duke Blue Devils won't hold off haters for long, these young 'Cats need to show the world why they are number one.
A dominant performance against a team that is less talented would be a start down that road. Especially going into a December schedule that could get rough on the road. Road games are dangerous this year, especially for the number one team against a squad with nothing to lose.
That's the new story, with everything to lose and nowhere to rise in the rankings, what will these Wildcats do? Will they crumble? Or will they use the target on their back as motivation?
Boston University gets the first shot at the new number one team. The Terriers are 2-2 on the season with losses to Northeastern and previous UK opponent NJIT.
Boston is a team that can catch fire if they get into a rhythm. The Terriers shot 10-of-22 from behind the three-point line in their previous game. Kentucky's perimeter defense cannot leave men open against this team.
Boston's size does match up well with the Wildcats. Having both small and bigger guards for Kentucky's triple threat in the back court with Tyler Ulis, Isaiah Briscoe and Jamal Murray.
The Terriers also have size down low, from a near seven-foot center in Blaise Mbargorba to a lengthy small forward in Nathan Dieudonne.
Kentucky, once again, wins in the talent column. Having pure and freakish athletes sometimes becomes the big factor in a game.
Kentucky's back court is overwhelming at times, and Boston's defense can't possibly find a way to stop all three.
With four games already under the new top team's belt, don't expect any hiccups as these Wildcats enter a tough part of their schedule with a new number next to their name.
Players to Watch
Tyler Ulis- Ulis has had back-to-back career games and doesn't look to be cooling down anytime soon. The sophomore point guard has been using his size to his advantage, exploding to the rim and getting fouled. Expect Ulis to once again outplay the guards on the other side with another dominating performance.
John Papale- Papale hit five of the 10 three-pointers Boston made in their win over South Florida. This man can flat out shoot the ball, open or not, he will create his shot. He also played 38 minutes against South Florida so expect a lot of playing time from the senior.