This team is better than the 2013 team. That squad wouldn't have beaten Duke and Louisville
Ummm, UL/Duke is 2013 >>>>>>>>>>>>>> UL/Duke in 2016. And, that team barely lost (by 3) to #4 and eventual champ (barf) UL at the YUM, and played Duke very close. That team also beat a ranked Mississippi and a (bad) Vandy on the road. This team barely beat a mediocre UL team by 2 at home, and beat a Duke team that we now know is terrible.
So, pretty much a wash, absent the late season collapse sans Noel. In fact, that team was ranked #25 in the UF game. Will this team be ranked on 2/12? Maybe.
As for the 'spotlight' - they beat a ****** Duke, barely beat UL at home after giving away a big lead (a Calipari specialty), got smoked at UCLA, smoked by OSU, and deserved to win the KU game. If you want to count LSU as spotlight game, they got smoked in that one as well. 2-4, and I'd say we played well in 2 of those games, Duke and KU.
I think this team is better than the 2013 team (with Noel), but their performance thus far has been pretty similar. ****** with a few bright spots.