5 Reasons

I will hopefully be doing a number of lists throughout the course of the season, and given the hype surrounding the Cats at this point, I figure a good place to start would be this double list:

5 Reasons Kentucky Will Win the National Title

1. John Wall. Specifically, his ability to take his game to another level when necessary and put the team on his back. See victories against UConn and Louisville.

2. Leadership of Veterans. Patrick Patterson and Ramon Harris are the leaders of this team, albeit in entirely different ways. Patterson leads with points and rebounds, while Harris is the 110% guy who doesn't blow you away with numbers, but has the court savvy a senior should.

3. Three Point Shooting. Everyone thinks this team's weakness is the inability to hit outside shots, but the game against Hartford proves that Miller and Dodson can be downright frightening when they are hitting shots. Teams that play zone against the Cats won't have a chance if our perimeter players are on.

4. Calipari's experience. Say what you will about vacation (as in victories), but Calipari has been to two Final Fours and knows how to get the most of out of each and every one of his players.

5. Big Blue Nation. The most rabid fan base in the country knows they are long overdue for a national title, and once the Madness sets in, every tournament venue will turn into Rupp Arena North, South, East, and West. Hell of a sixth man.

Now, for the flip side:

Five Reasons Kentucky Will Not Win the National Title

1. Inconsistency. John Wall and Patrick Patterson have proven they will show up to every game. Cousins is a little shaky now and then. But with Daniel Orton and Darius Miller practically nonexistent in Saturday's win over Louisville, it makes you wonder how Kentucky will win down the stretch. The Cats may not need five quality players to beat Hartford, but what about Texas? That's what I thought.

2. Pressure. BBN is craving a national title. The media have anointed John Wall the number one pick. Tennessee basketball players have started carrying handguns for Pete's sake. Everyone knows this team has the talent to go all the way. But will that pressure weigh too heavily on a team consisting largely of freshmen and sophomores? Definitely a possibility, and that pressure is only growing as we remain unbeaten.

3. Parity in college basketball. Wouldn't it be nice if this were one of those years when there were two, maybe three upper echelon teams? Knowing that you won't face an elite team until the Final Four provides some relief for fans, but this year's field will be chock full of ten or even twelve teams that deserve a one or two seed. The road to Indianapolis will not be easy.

4. Zone Defense. Louisville's stifling zone defense coupled with a horrid shooting day nearly spelled defeat for the Cats on Saturday, and if the Cards hadn't started 0-18 from the field, it probably would have. If Kentucky comes up against a good zone team in the tourney, it might ultimately close the curtains on Calipari's first season. (Please God, no Syracuse in our bracket!)

5. Injuries. We've seen what happens with John Wall on the bench. Kentucky goes from light speed to frozen molasses and loses its composure. The fact that Wall's continued good health has skyrocketed to number one on every Kentucky fan's prayer hotline certainly helps, but Lord only knows what happens if he or Patterson or Cousins goes down with an injury. Our bench is much deeper than in years past, but this team simply will not survive without one of its key components.