CBS Sports believes Kentucky is a National Title Contender

Kentucky basketball fans aren’t the only ones who believe the Wildcats could be cutting down the nets next spring in Indianapolis.

The dust has settled on major moves across college basketball. This has been the week for preseason Top 25s. Instead of going back to that well, allow us to share some of the effusive praise Mark Pope‘s second squad is receiving from the fine folks over at CBS.

There is low-hanging fruit for content creators: Transfer Portal Winners and Losers. We all know where the Cats fall. Kentucky’s class is among the top two in most rankings, and CBS considers UK’s portal haul among the best of the best after landing five of the top 60 players.

“Kentucky went shopping in the luxury aisle and came away with some high-end portal additions to reinforce a roster that is losing five double-figure scorers to due to the expiration of eligibility. Five of the additions are ranked among the top-60 transfers, headlined by No. 12 Jayden Quaintance. After shining as a shot-blocking freshman at Arizona State last season, Quaintance will combine with ex-Alabama forward Mo Dioubate to give the Wildcats a ferocious front court. Jaland Lowe (Pitt) will run the show at point guard after averaging 5.5 assists for the Panthers, while Denzel Aberdeen (Florida) and Kam Williams (Tulane) will add perimeter pop. Year 1 under coach Mark Pope showed proof of concept, and now the Wildcats are poised to keep building after a strong offseason.”

— Davis Cobb

Kentucky back at the top of the SEC

While most of Big Blue Nation was zeroed in on what the Cats accomplished this offseason, it’s important to note what their contemporaries did as well. The SEC just had a historic season with a pair of Final Four teams and the National Champions. There will still be plenty of depth next year, but it will not be as top heavy.

CBS’s Isaac Trotter put the league in tiers. Alabama, Auburn, and Tennessee fell to the tier Kentucky was in last year as a Top 25 team. Meanwhile, Kentucky rose to the top. Kentucky is a bonafide National Title contender alongside the defending champs, Florida.

Mark Pope’s squad should be much-improved defensively with Dioubate, Otega Oweh and Aberdeen locking up on the perimeter. When Quaintance gets healthy, Kentucky will have a special defender at all three levels of the floor. This roster appears more athletic and dynamic than Pope’s first Kentucky club. 

Lowe is a strong candidate for the massive efficiency spike that Lamont Butler experienced under Pope’s watchful eye, and he should thrive in Kentucky’s deadly transition-heavy attack. Oweh, Lowe and Aberdeen is a veteran, nasty backcourt trio, but can Pope weaponize this amount of depth?

— Isaac Trotter

The first full offseason of the Mark Pope era was a smash hit. It will be a joy to watch this team come together, and hopefully, reach its potential at the Final Four in Indianapolis.