Hello fellow Priory students. You all probably remember me from my astute fantasy football sleeper picks, but this time I’ll be writing about college basketball. So, be prepared for more slander, more honesty, and most of all, more accuracy. Before I announce my top five, I’d like you all to know that these are NOT my picks to win March Madness (which is another article to keep an eye out for come March) but rather my opinions as to who are the best teams as of now. Let’s get into it.

5. Houston

Don’t get me wrong, I do not like Houston at all. They play three (which will likely end up being only two) ranked teams all year and their division is full of teams who are just not good by any means. I mean, the biggest competition they have is Memphis, who always seem to have all the talent in the world, only for their coach, Penny Hardaway, to flush it down the toilet every year. Even with all of this information, Houston still seems to put together a solid team every year and usually manages to go somewhat deep into the tournament.

4. Kansas

No surprises here: Kansas usually belongs somewhere near this spot. Now this may be because they pay all of their high recruits to come there, but regardless Bill Self is a solid coach and with the undeniable talent that Kansas has this year, Kansas looks to be a top five team going into the season. Their real test will be on Nov. 15, when they play Duke in the Champions Classic.

3. Gonzaga

Gonzaga’s performance against Michigan State did all but impress me. The only thing keeping them at this number three spot is the 6-foot-10 Headband-Man, Drew Timme. Even though the guy looks like anything but a basketball player, the guy can hoop. He shined the most in the final few minutes of the Michigan State game and I would not be surprised if he leads them to a very good season this year.

2. Kentucky

So far this year, the most impressive thing about Kentucky has been the outside scoring from their two transfers, Antonio Reeves and CJ Frederick. Frederick is averaging 17 points per game and Reeves is averaging 20. Their freshmen class this year is very solid and they have the returning player of the year in Oscar Tshibwe. This team looks to be built for success, but we will see just how good they are in their upcoming games against the likes of Michigan State, Gonzaga, Michigan, and UCLA. 

1. North Carolina

There should not be any surprises here, considering UNC’s impressive showing last year in March Madness. Additionally, with all of their main players back this year, they should be built to succeed. I would not be surprised to see a near undefeated season for UNC this year with their easy schedule. Keep your eyes out for the Tar Heels, ladies and gentlemen.