Keep On Climbin'

[caption id="attachment_171088" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Dougie McBuckett's hoisting last year's Wooden Trophy | Photo from GoCreighton.com[/caption] While I love a team championship and a team victory, I also think it's important that personal victories and championships are also accomplished and recognized.  If there's one thing I look forward to every week from ESPN.com, it's the Wooden Watch list put together by Eamonn Brennan and gang.  Not only is it fun to try and predict where people will rise and drop, but I love reading what people outside of the state write about Kentucky.  During week one of CBB, ESPN compiled a list of 10 potential players to watch, and have done a list of five players every week following, up until week seven.  Upon borderline stalking the Wooden Watch page every week, there's a few cold hard facts that I thought I should share with you all.

 1. Kentucky Isn't Exactly a Favorite

Of the list of the original ten athletes, only two are still left in the mix, and have switched back-and-forth between the one and two ranks.  Jahlil Okafor from Duke, and Frank Kaminsky from Wisconsin, are easily the favorites for winning the prestigious award.  Okafor, the freshman from Chicago, Illinois, is averaging 18.8 points per game and 8.8 rebounds.  I hate to admit it, but he is a blast to watch play, and has a veteran ranking swagger about him on the court.  Kaminsky, who is a senior hailing from Lisle, Illinois, averages 16.6 PPG and 8.4 RPG.  Okafor may have a veteran feel about him, but Kaminsky is the real deal.  His play is sound, fluid, and has a cadence about it that looks like he's been in every game situation before. Kaminsky is old faithful, and Okafor is the whippersnapper.  While both Duke and Wisconsin are sound teams who will likely land in the Final 4, I personally believe that Duke (other than UK) has the best shot of taking the Championship.  Kentucky would match up great against Wisconsin, but Duke... it would be close.

2. Kentucky's Winning (Basically) the Extended List

Basketball is a team sport.  I know I said I love individual awards, but I'd rather claim the 9th National Championship.  Most people would agree.  Using the platoon system that Coach Cal has implemented is going to be a huge factor in the successes of this team (duh), but it means that no single player can get a huge opportunity to stand out.  Fortunately for us, ESPN posts a list of fifty players that they are watching, and narrowing down week by week to chose from.  Of those fifty names, there are FOUR Kentucky players on the list, including Willie Cauley-Stein, Andrew Harrison, Aaron Harrison, and Karl Anthony-Towns.  WCS was not a member of the original ten person list, but he jumped into the mix during week five, and has since risen to the three spot on the list behind the two aforementioned stars.  Now, I say that Kentucky is basically winning because Kansas also has four people on the extended list, but I mean... 72-40.

3. Kentucky is Crossing Out Names

At the end of week six, the top five on the list were as follows. 1). Okafor 2). Kaminsky 3). Justin Anderson (Virginia) 4). Montrezl Harrell (Louisville) 5). Willie Cauley-Stein (#BBN)   At the end of week seven, the top five on the list are as follows. 1). Kaminsky 2). Okafor 3). Willie Cauley-Stein 4). Justin Anderson 5). Anthony Gill (Virginia)   So Hasta La Vista, Trez.  Kentucky's win over Louisville might have exposed a few shortcomings in the juniors' game... and the WKU punch might have helped a little too. Congrats to Virginia though, as they're the first team to get two players on the short list.  I wouldn't mind seeing a little Wildcat v. Cavalier action in the NCAA Tournament. In conclusion, it will be tough for WCS to hop over Okafor or Kaminsky, but let's see if he can't give it the good ol' fashioned Wildcat try.  If you wanna check out the list for yourself, you can see it here.   #GoCats