2014 College Basketball Power Rankings: Top 5 National Championship Contenders

2014 College Basketball Power Rankings: Top 5 National Championship Contenders : The 2013-14 college basketball season is a couple of months old, and while there were some marquee matchups during the early weeks, the action is really set to pick up now that conference play is beginning and teams will be dealing with rivalry games. The next couple of months will go a long way to determining which teams should be favored to win the NCAA Tournament, but in the meantime, a few teams have already separated themselves from the pack as having the right pieces in place to compete for a title. With that in mind, here is a closer look at the top five championship frontrunners thus far.

1.      Arizona Wildcats (15-0, 2-0 Pac-12)

The Wildcats are currently No. 1 in the country, and they have all the pieces in place to make a run at a national title. Arizona has an experienced leader at the point in Nick Johnson and has size inside in center Kaleb Tarczewski. Perhaps most importantly, the Wildcats have a pair of elite athletes in forwards Brandon Ashley and star freshman Aaron Gordon. Arizona has been efficient on offense all year, and after holding the high-powered Duke offense to just 66 points in a win, the Wildcats defense that is allowing the second-fewest points in the country is definitely legit.

2.      Syracuse Orange (14-0, 1-0 ACC)

Thanks to excellent play from freshman point guard Tyler Ennis, the lone question mark for the Orange appears to actually be one of the team’s strengths. In addition to Ennis, Syracuse has a two-way star in forward C.J. Fair and a sharpshooter in guard Trevor Cooney to provide offense. Meanwhile, the Syracuse frontcourt has several lengthy, athletic players that make the team’s 2-3 zone that much tougher on opponents. It is no surprise that the Orange rank in the top 15 in terms of fewest points allowed, and they have already handled a pair of ranked opponents in Baylor and Villanova.

3.      Michigan State Spartans (13-1, 2-0 Big Ten)

Michigan State’s starting five has everything you look for in a title contender. In the frontcourt, center Adreian Payne is one of the most versatile big men in the country, and forward Branden Dawson does the dirty work on both ends while nearly averaging a double-double. Meanwhile, the Spartans’ backcourt features an NBA-caliber shooting guard in Gary Harris and an experienced point guard in Keith Appling. Michigan State currently ranks in the top 20 nationally in scoring and rebounding and is second in assists per game. The Spartans knocked off a talented Kentucky team early in the year and have since added several dominating victories over major conference opponents.

4.      Duke Blue Devils (11-3, 0-1 ACC)

Yes, the Blue Devils have lost a pair of games to opponents ranked in the top five, but this team shows signs of being a forced to be reckoned with come March. After all, they have two star-caliber players in freshman Jabari Parker and sophomore transfer Rodney Hood that can score in a variety of ways and can take a game over offensively. The Blue Devils also have a reliable point guard to run the show in Quinn Cook and plenty of perimeter firepower. Duke currently ranks in the top 15 nationally in scoring and in the top 10 in field goal percentage, and when you consider that the team’s two best players have only been playing for 13 games, the upside is obvious.

5.      Kentucky Wildcats (10-3, 0-0 SEC)

Yes, they have three losses already, but the young Wildcats have lost all three games to ranked opponents by five points or less. Inexperience and chemistry are both issues for such a young team, but Kentucky has one of the best post scorers in the country in Julius Randle, a defensive force in the middle in Willie Cauley-Stein and a dynamic backcourt in the Harrison twins. Unlike last year’s team that had too many alpha dogs, this year’s group has balance and willing role players and should only get better as they year goes on. Come March, the Wildcats are going to be a handful.

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