NCAA Basketball: Buy or sell Duke, Kentucky, Michigan State and North Carolina?

Kentucky Wildcats

Out of every team that had realistic Sweet 16 aspirations at the season’s start, no team was a bigger sell candidate than the Kentucky Wildcats in December. There is however great upside in the preseason No.10 ranked Wildcats who have the No. 28 rated Strength of Schedule and who are placed No. 88 on Jan.12, 2021, NET.

The Wildcats obviously have their issues to overcome as a basketball team, but a majority of them stem from the fact that they have less than eight percent of last season’s playing time and six percent of last season’s scoring returning.

In their four SEC games, they have increased their season scoring average of 66.5 points to 77 points per game, yet it is still only good enough for seventh-best in the SEC.  With the return of Terrence Clark versus Florida, the Wildcats now have five players averaging double-digits, yet their leading scorer Brandon Boston (12.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg) is connecting on just 36 percent of his field-goal attempts. Their 11.8 assists per game have them tied for No.240 in the country with five other teams.

Kentucky does not appear In Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology, which was released prior to their loss to Alabama. He did, however, have five SEC members with three of them in an eight versus nine game. As well, Florida (who Kentucky beat) as a ten seed.

There are several scenarios where Kentucky has an opportunity to get to the Sweet 16, as a 13 or 12 seed they beat the five and then four seeds such as Minnesota, Missouri, Clemson, and/or Ohio State type teams, to set up a Sweet Sixteen match-up with a No.1 seed. As an eleven seed, they would have to get by a three seed who currently are Wisconsin, Creighton, Illinois, and Houston. Teams that have demonstrated are beatable or Kentucky matches up well with.

Finally, with teams like Kansas (who they came a shot away from beating) and Michigan as potential No.2 seeds, the ten or seven-line is winnable as well. With all those possible beneficial options, there is just one option when considering their Sweet 16 possibilities.

Order: Buy