Rick Pitino puts this year's Kentucky basketball team in elite group

Rick Pitino believes Kentucky is good enough to win a national championship this season. In a recent tweet, the current Iona men’s basketball coach revealed what is special about the Wildcats.

“This is the best Kentucky team I’ve watched in years,” Pitino wrote. “They defend, unselfish, shoot and fundamentally sound at both ends. One of my five that could cut down the nets!! Gonzaga also – the other 3 I want to see more – one is located on the East Coast and it’s not Iona.”

The Wildcats have been one of the hottest teams in college basketball of late, winning 10 of their past 11 games. Their only loss during that span came on the road against No. 2 Auburn. They are currently projected as a two seed in the latest bracketology projections from ESPN’s Joe Lunardi.

Kentucky has one of the most well-rounded teams in college basketball, with an ability to punish teams inside and out. Forward Oscar Tshiebwe leads the NCAA in rebounding with an incredible 15.3 boards per game to go along with 16.4 points. Point guard Sahvir Wheeler is first in the SEC with 7.2 assists per game and Kellen Grady leads the conference in 3-point percentage (43.7%).

Rick Pitino coached at Kentucky from 1989-97, delivering a national championship during the 1996 season. He later left to become the head coach of the NBA’s Boston Celtics before returning to the college game in 2001 at Louisville. In all, he has seven Final Four appearances under his belt and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.

The legendary coach led Iona to an NCAA Tournament appearance in his first season in 2020. This year he has the Gaels at 20-5, looking like the favorite to receive another automatic bid out of the MAAC.

The Wildcats finished 9-16 during the 2020 season, missing the tournament for the first time since 2013. But after adding Tshiebwe, Wheeler and Grady as transfer this offseason, they once again look like one of the nation’s best.

Kentucky will next face Tennessee at 9 p.m. ET Tuesday in a road game.