Kentucky: Great Team or Talented Individuals?

I'm a little gun shy on the Kentucky craze. The Wildcats' mediocrity seen in the waning days of Tubby Smith and the entire 2-year Billy Gilliespie stint is clearly a thing of the past. But are they ready for Final Four expectations?

Not quite.

Let's start with some common sense. Last year's Kentucky team was not good enough for an NCAA Tournament appearance. Kentucky lost their best player and leading scorer, Jodie Meeks, to the NBA. The good news for the Wildcats is that Patrick Patterson turned down the chance at NBA riches, senior forward Perry Stevenson is back, as is sophomore wing Darius Miller. But the crux of the Big Blue excitement is a core of freshmen.

Freshmen.

John Wall is practically the consensus No. 1 freshman in America. He's an explosive scoring guard that might arrive under John Calipari's wing in the same capacity Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans did. Like those two, he'll be gone in April as a one-and-done. Then there is a pair of frontcourt studs - Demarcus Cousins and Daniel Orton, who likewise, might be as good as gone after the season.

That's definitely a lot of talent. Individually, it might be the most talented team in America. But I just wonder how cohesive a unit it might be, with three (four if you include Patterson) players with an eye on the next level. That's not to say you can't be successful while thinking about the NBA, just I wonder if the team can meet or exceed lofty expectations with such youth and inexperience from its core.

Should be a fun team to watch. However, I'll stick with Kansas and Michigan State as my preseason favorites.