I understand completely, although we've sort of grown accustomed to this working in the opposite way over the last few years; I think we're routinely ranked too high in the preseason and that too much stock is placed in what the stud freshman might do. We all saw how that worked out when Noel and Goodwin were with us, and for a while - until the tournament, really - the Randle year was the same.
You might be right about your team ranking-wise, but I'll say this: on paper Syracuse doesn't appear to have the wealth of experience that a lot of teams rely on to beat Kentucky's youth. I look at your roster and see a lot of freshmen and sophomores. Now, I also see more vets than we have, but you'd have to tell me which of those guys is effective and which isn't. Still, in a matchup between a young and a relatively-young team, I'll trust Kentucky's talent - and believe me, it's there. The sample size is small, of course, but I like what I've seen for the most part.
I do think it's strange that Malik Monk has played the role of shooter almost exclusively thus far. I expected his bread-and-butter to be above the rim, with enough shooting to keep the D honest. I'll take what he's given, but I hope to see more of the explosiveness he's known for. Team rebounding has also been concerning, but I feel like that's a matter of Adebayo figuring out how to play within the rules, and Humphries learning to squeeze the pumpkin.
Give me some specifics, though. Let's talk match-ups. I don't know your guys at an individual level as well as I'd like, so fill me in on what you're seeing if you don't mind.
And hey: if you guys find it annoying that a UK guy's drinking in your bar, then feel free to say so. I'll get it. I'm a mod at a UK forum and know how this sort of thing can look.
