Busting Brackets
Fansided

NCAA Basketball: Most overrated/underrated teams from 2018 AP preseason top 25

By Brian Rauf

SAN ANTONIO, TX - MARCH 31: Udoka Azubuike #35 of the Kansas Jayhawks is defended by Omari Spellman #14 of the Villanova Wildcats in the first half during the 2018 NCAA Men's Final Four Semifinal at the Alamodome on March 31, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
SAN ANTONIO, TX - MARCH 31: Udoka Azubuike #35 of the Kansas Jayhawks is defended by Omari Spellman #14 of the Villanova Wildcats in the first half during the 2018 NCAA Men's Final Four Semifinal at the Alamodome on March 31, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 7
Next
SAN ANTONIO, TX – MARCH 31: head coach Bill Self of the Kansas Jayhawks looks on in the first half against the Villanova Wildcats during the 2018 NCAA Men’s Final Four Semifinal at the Alamodome on March 31, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
SAN ANTONIO, TX – MARCH 31: head coach Bill Self of the Kansas Jayhawks looks on in the first half against the Villanova Wildcats during the 2018 NCAA Men’s Final Four Semifinal at the Alamodome on March 31, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

Overrated: Kansas Jayhawks

Kansas will enter the 2018-19 season as the No. 1 team in the country, earning 37 of the 65 possible first-place votes. The Jayhawks are a consensus top-five team no matter which website’s power rankings you look at but there are still a number of major questions about this team.

First off, they are replacing their top three scorers from last season (Devonte’ Graham, Svi Mykhailuk, Malik Newman), and that trio combined for nearly 57 percent of their scoring. Graham was also a first-team All-American and Big 12 Player of the Year – he’s not the kind of player that is easily replaceable.

Furthermore, with eligibility questions surrounding Silvio De Sousa stemming from the FBI investigation, KU could be without five players from last year’s nine-man rotation. Most are role players, too. Only two (Lagerald Vick, Udoka Azubuike) averaged at least 20 minutes per game.

That’s not to say that Kansas won’t reload. They welcome in a top-five recruiting class headlined by five-star guards Devon Dotson and Quentin Grimes, both of whom are projected to start in the backcourt. Four-star center David McCormack should see a significant role as well. KU will also rely on key transfers in Dedric and K.J. Lawson (Memphis) and Charlie Moore (Cal). Dedric Lawson even made the preseason All-Big 12 first team, showing just how high expectations are for him in particular.

Kansas has talent – but they also have a lot to replace. Even is De Sousa plays in every game, the Jayhawks will be starting an all-freshman backcourt (Self has almost never played two freshman guards at the same time) and will be relying on players in the Lawson’s who were called “troublemakers” at Memphis (Dedric was even suspended last year).

Many top 10 teams all return much more production thank KU and Duke has a much better freshman class. Some of those teams have a much stronger argument for the No. 1 spot than the Jayhawks.

Home/NCAA Basketball News