College Basketball: 2014 Year in Review
Best Team of 2014: Kentucky Wildcats
They’re the team that many of us love to hate, but no one can deny the run that Kentucky has went on in 2014. The Cats fell a game short of the national championship earlier this year, only to return as one of the most dominant teams in recent memory. Other teams that began the calendar year with strong NCAA Tournament performances have taken a step back (I’m looking at you, Wichita State and UConn). Only Wisconsin, a Final Four team earlier in the year and a one-loss team currently, provided any real competition to Kentucky for this distinction.
Just for perspective’s sake, this is the year in review for Kentucky:
- The Wildcats finished 2014 with a 32-7 record. They advanced to the finals of both the SEC Tournament and the NCAA Tournament
- Two players were drafted in the 2014 NBA Draft (Julius Randle at #6 and James Young at #17)
- Four current Kentucky freshman participated in the 2014 McDonald’s All-American Game (Tyler Ulis, Devin Booker, Trey Lyles, Karl-Anthony Towns)
- Kentucky has been ranked number one for the duration of this current season and ends the year as the unanimous top ranked team in both major polls.
- Draft Express projects that EIGHT current Wildcats will be drafted into the NBA within the next two seasons (this is not including 2015 commit Isaiah Briscoe who is also projected to be picked after his freshman season)