Busting Brackets
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68 reasons to be excited for the 2017-18 college basketball season

By Lukas Harkins

GLENDALE, AZ - APRIL 03: The North Carolina Tar Heels hold the championship trophy after defeating the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the 2017 NCAA Men's Final Four National Championship game at University of Phoenix Stadium on April 3, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. The Tar Heels defeated the Bulldogs 71-65. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ - APRIL 03: The North Carolina Tar Heels hold the championship trophy after defeating the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the 2017 NCAA Men's Final Four National Championship game at University of Phoenix Stadium on April 3, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. The Tar Heels defeated the Bulldogs 71-65. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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Bridges and Izzo (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Bridges and Izzo (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

2. Who really is the best in the country?

With Michigan State, Duke, Arizona, and other high-profile programs in the preseason top-10, there is no clear-cut No. 1 team in the country. AP has voted Duke to hold that title of the top team in the preseason, but that does not mean they will hold on to that position. Just in the first week of the season, in fact, the Blue Devils have to face off against Michigan State and they will put their No. 1 ranking on the line.

Even though Wendell Carter made the claim that Duke will go undefeated this season, that is unlikely to happen. The No. 1 position will likely shift between several teams throughout the season and we won’t actually know who the best team in the country is until they are cutting down the nets in early April.

And for those who will feel confident when their team is the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, all you have to do is ask Villanova fans how that can go. The Wildcats, despite being the top seed last year, ran into a veteran-laden No. 8 seed in the Wisconsin Badgers and were dispatched on the opening weekend of the Big Dance.

Several teams will be able to stake their claim for the top team in the country throughout the season and it will be interesting to see which one actually stays in that spot the longest. Is a major conference like the Big Ten or the ACC going to control the position or could a team like Wichita State end up sitting at the spot for a long time?

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