No. 1 seed primer: Kentucky
Perfection.
There's no other word to describe the most dominant current team in college basketball, as Kentucky is undoubtedly the team to beat. That being said, this was expected.
Wildcats head coach John Calipari said in an interview with Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports this week that going undefeated wasn't the goal, though he saw it as a possibility based on the wide array of talent and the overwhelming height his team possesses.
With a perfect regular season under its belt, Kentucky is looking ahead with the aim of going undefeated in the second - more meaningful - season.
Record: 34-0
Conference record: 18-0
Conference tournament result: Defeated Arkansas 78-63 in SEC championship
Odds to win it all: +100
Points per game: 74.8 (27th)
Points allowed per game: 53.7 (3rd)
Rebounds per game: 38.33 (18th)
Assists per game: 14.7 (42nd)
Worst loss: None
Player to watch: Karl-Anthony Towns
It's tough to single out one player on Kentucky's roster, as this could've easily been any of the starting five, or even a few bench guys. But Towns isn't the same player he was when the season began.
His post presence is unprecedented. He can score, dish the ball and, if he gets fouled, he'll make free throws (.790). Whenever he's on the court, he puts opposing teams in a bind. Let him go and he'll score. Foul him and he'll score anyway.
Towns is pivotal for Kentucky and it's noticeable when he's not on the court. When he is, it's impossible not to watch in awe.
Biggest strength: Overall talent
The reason Kentucky doesn't have that go-to guy is because nearly every player on the roster is a go-to guy. Put the ball in any player's hands and he'll do something special with it.
This is a Wildcats team without Alex Poythress, but no one would have guessed it as they're still the most dominant team as a whole.
Biggest weakness: Close-call crisis
From a statistical, makeup and eye-test standpoint, there isn't much wrong with Kentucky. But dig a little deeper to find that just because the Wildcats went undefeated, it doesn't mean it played 34 flawless games.
Rewind to the week of Jan. 6, when Kentucky was taken to overtime, and then double-overtime, by two marginal SEC teams. The Wildcats edged out Ole Miss 89-86 and four days later survived Texas A&M. Are they undefeated? Yes. Are they unbeatable? Absolutely not.