ESPN College Basketball Future Power Rankings: Kentucky Wildcats #2

Mar 16, 2012; Greensboro, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski reacts in the second half. The Mountain Hawks defeated the Blue Devils 75-70 in the second round of the 2012 NCAA men

ESPN ranks a lot of things, yesterday’s they decided to gauge the “future college basketball power rankings”. ESPN’s version of Zoltar, the ESPN Insider staff which includes Paul Biancardi, Jay Bilas, Fran Fraschilla, John Gasaway, Jeff Goodman, Seth Greenberg, Andy Katz and Miles Simon, try to predict the future of programs using a 1-to-10 scale in five different categories: Coaching, Current Talent, Recruiting, Program Power and Stability.

"1. Coaching This category covers all aspects of a team’s coaching staff for the next three seasons, with the exclusion of recruiting, which has its own section. Value: 25 percent2. Current Talent This section consists not only of returning players, but also transfers and incoming freshmen for the 2013 class already in the program. Value: 25 percent3. Recruiting There are two components to this section: players already committed and targeted for the 2014 and 2015 classes, and the school’s general recruiting trajectory and momentum. Value: 25 percent4. Program Power This section takes into account factors like program history, fan and school support, resources, facilities, recent and historical success and any other intangible factors (e.g., NCAA sanctions) that affect a team’s outlook for the next three seasons. Value: 15 percent5. Stability This category takes into the possibility of turnover on each team’s roster and coaching staff, and rewards teams with stronger continuity. Value: 10 percent"

The numbers get averaged together, then weighted based on importance.

Where do the Cats lie? To see the full list, you can go here (*insider)

"Future College Basketball Power Rankings Top 101) Duke –95.192) Kentucky –94.88Coaching: 9.1Current Talent: 9.8Recruiting: 9.9Program Power: 10Stability: 8TOTAL: 94.88Why they’re here: The pairing of John Calipari and the support in Lexington, Ky., both from the fan base and the administration, is a high-powered combination — and it has helped produce a current roster that ranked No. 1 in the talent category of these rankings. It’s also no shock that Calipari checked in first in the recruiting category. Two issues kept UK from edging Duke for the No. 1 overall spot: Calipari ranked sixth in the coaching category, while Krzyzewski tied for first, and the Wildcats ranked a little lower in stability, largely due to the regular turnover caused by players leaving early for the NBA. The past two seasons have shown us how relying on young talent can produce vastly different outcomes. –Jeff GoodmanWhat could change: There’s no doubt Calipari will continue to attract elite talent, but undeniable pro potential doesn’t always translate seamlessly into freshman-year production, even if the 2013 UK recruiting class (including Andrew and Aaron Harrison, Dakari Johnson and Julius Randle) is considered by many to be the best ever. Calipari plays relatively small rotations populated by the very top players at their respective positions, stars who quite rightly have scared away other recruits at that position. And if one of those guys gets hurt, like Nerlens Noel did last season, or simply takes awhile to get rolling, it can spell the difference between a national title (2012) and the NIT (2013). –John GasawayName to know: James Young. While Kentucky basketball is built on one-and-done star recruits, and UK has no shortage of those on this season’s roster, the Wildcats’ success over the next three seasons will also depend upon a few key players who stick around Lexington a little longer. Enter Young, a 6-foot-6 wing with unlimited range and a scorer’s mentality. If he decides to stay past his freshman campaign, he will help bring stability and maturity (and yes, scoring) to future Kentucky teams. –Seth Greenberg3) Kansas – 94.314) Louisville – 94.335)  Florida – 92.316)  Michigan St. – 83.817) Arizona – 89.318)  Syracuse – 88.449) North Carolina – 88.1310) Ohio St. – 84.13…13) Indiana"