National analyst calls Kentucky ‘a genuine threat’ to win NCAA title

ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale said he thinks Kentucky will be a national championship contender this year.

“I like this team better than last year’s team,” Vitale said recently. “I love the depth factor.”

Vitale said he liked how UK Coach John Calipari rotated Nick Richards and EJ Montgomery in for PJ Washington and Reid Travis. He liked Keldon Johnson’s “unbelievable glide-and-slide ability” and Tyler Herro’s “swag” and “toughness” and how Ashton Hagans “just suffocates the basketball.”

In conclusion, Vitale said, “So this is a really solid basketball team, and I think they’re going to be really a genuine threat come March. I really believe that. Final Four potential, absolutely.”

Kentucky (17-3 overall, 6-1 Southeastern Conference) visits Florida (12-8, 4-3) for a 4 p.m. game on Saturday.