CBS Sports has released their 2023-24 College Basketball season predictions, which of course ended with their Final Four predictions. Out of six analysts, Kyle Boone was the one to pick Kentucky to make the Final Four.
Boone has Kentucky losing in the first game of the Final Four, with Purdue and Creighton in the National Championship game, and Purdue winning. Half of the analysts picked Kansas as the National Champion, with Purdue getting two picks, followed by Duke with one.
Here’s what Boone had to say about picking Kentucky to make the Final Four: “Kentucky has not made it to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament since 2019. It has lost to Kansas State and Saint Peter’s, and also missed the tourney entirely since then. So, the momentum for UK under John Calipari isn’t there right now. I get it,” Boone said.
“But talent still matters more than I think the casual fan would care to acknowledge, and Kentucky has it in spades. Even with a completely suspect frontcourt thanks to preseason injuries, the Wildcats have two potential stars in Justin Edwards and DJ Wagner — the core pieces of a top-five incoming recruiting class. With Antonio Reeves back, there’s a nice blend of experience and elite youthful talent to help Calipari get things back on track in Lexington.”
Kentucky is looking like an overlooked team heading into the season, as the youth is a big question among many of the national analysts. When healthy, Kentucky is shaping up to be dangerous.
Read CBS Sports’ full 2024 Final Four predictions here
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