Now that College basketball games are back to being everyday for the next few months, fans are getting into the action and are thrilled to witness the top players in action.

Duke lead the ranks in nearly all polls because of their outstanding 2016 recruits, that is until they lost to the third-ranked Kansas. Duke dropped all the way to fifth, but have lost only once since and have a record of 14-2. They have four five-star recruits in Harry Giles, Jayson Tatum, Frank Jackson, and Marques Bolden. Most teams are lucky to get one player signed at this caliber. However, Duke is one of the strongest recruiting schools in the nation. Harry Giles, the number one recruit of the 2016 high school class, is still recovering from his second torn ACL, which will force him to miss a decent chunk of the season.

Some analysts have debated whether or not he should even play at all this year, given that he may re-aggravate one of his injuries which could jeopardize his chance of playing in the NBA. Being the number one recruit in the nation almost guarantees him a lottery pick in the upcoming draft, which is why many think he should sit out for the entirety of the year.

The sixth-ranked team, Kentucky, has an impressive group of young players who are expected to carry this team to a successful season. These players include freshman De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk as well as sophomore Isaiah Briscoe. Kentucky strolled past the unranked Michigan State 69-48 at Madison Square Garden in what was anticipated to be a good game. Monk was the star performer tallying 23 points and six rebounds while shooting 7-11 from behind the arc. Briscoe got in his groove as well, as he specializes in getting to the basket, which is exactly what he did for his 21 point scoring game. Kentucky handled their business with the 21 point victory over the Spartans.

Through the first 16 games of the 2016 season, the reigning champion, Villanova is 15-1 and holds the number three rank. Their playmaker, Josh Hart, is leading the team in points, rebounds, assists, and field goal percentage. Hart has had an important role on this team since his freshman year, but has taken on the lead role in his senior year. The hero of last years championship game with the game-winning buzzer-beater, Kris Jenkins, has filled in as a nice second option for the team. He has the best 3-point percentage on the team at 45.3 percent. Jalen Brunson, another key player for the Wildcats, is averaging 13.2 points per game and has a field goal percentage of 49.4.

Anticipate this year to hold a tight race between a few of the elite teams in the running towards March Madness. As of right now, I have UCLA, Duke, Kentucky, and Louisville as my final four teams. I believe UCLA will be the team to complete their road to glory.