No. 5 Loser – Kentucky Wildcats
Kentucky has looked very pedestrian this year even though they were still ranked in the top ten this past week. Duke destroyed them in the first game of the year, but that was seen more as Duke being really good, then the Wildcats just being average.
They won every game since then but did not always looked dominate. It came back to bite them on Saturday in their loss to Seton Hall. The Wildcats did battle and hit a half-court shot to send it to OT but couldn’t come up with enough stops to win the game. Kentucky gets the benefit of the doubt because of who they are but maybe we should take them for what they are. An above average team, but not a title contender.
No. 5 Winner – Furman Paladins
Furman has been on the list on winners before, but they find their way back on it once again after making their debut in the AP top 25 rankings. This is the first time in programs history that they have been ranked and celebrated by getting two easy wins to improve to 10-0 on the year.
They already have beat Loyola-Chicago and Villanova for two big wins for the program. They still play LSU in their last big test outside of the Southern Conference. A win there would definitely help their resume come tournament time if they were to get tripped up in the conference tournament. Furman is a team no one will want to see in their side of the bracket.