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NCAA Basketball Power Rankings: Ole Miss climbs, North Carolina dips

By Lukas Harkins

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - NOVEMBER 16: Head coach Kermit Davis of the Mississippi Rebels is seen during the game against the Butler Bulldogs at Hinkle Fieldhouse on November 16, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - NOVEMBER 16: Head coach Kermit Davis of the Mississippi Rebels is seen during the game against the Butler Bulldogs at Hinkle Fieldhouse on November 16, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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LEXINGTON, KY – JANUARY 12: Calipari the head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats gives instructions. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
LEXINGTON, KY – JANUARY 12: Calipari the head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats gives instructions. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

18. Kentucky Wildcats

Record: 12-3 (2-1 SEC)

Last Week: No. 21

After their disappointing loss to Alabama last weekend, Kentucky returned to form with back-to-back big-time performances against Texas A&M and Vanderbilt. And while these two teams are not exactly tough competition at home for the nationally-ranked ‘Cats, it is always good to see the team beat down on some opposition. There was, though, another nice subplot from the two wins. While moving to 2-1 in conference play, the ‘Cats showed that they can win at any pace, beating TAMU in a 73-possession game before turning around and taking down Vandy in a 56-possession contest.

This is clearly a team that can win at any pace and this is thanks to the versatility of the roster. In this breakdown, I want to shed some light on freshman Tyler Herro, one of the most important players on the team. As per usual, the ‘Cats have plenty of athleticism, defensive versatility, and speed, but Herro’s shooting abilities give this team another dimension. For the year, Herro’s shooting numbers are not particularly impressive but he is still scoring at a relatively high rate while attracting attention beyond the arc.

Herro has buried a 3-pointer in all but three games so far this season and is averaging 15.2 points per game on .481/.346/.810 shooting over his last nine games. As long as Herro continues to draw defenders out to the perimeter, this opens up driving lanes and post-up opportunities for the rest of the roster. He might not have been the highest-rated recruit in 2018 class but has played at least 35 minutes in each of Kentucky’s last five contests.

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