Every preseason, we assume a handful of teams will be good because of returning stars or notable coaches, and the obvious positives lead the consensus to overlook—or not look for—potential issues. 

That’s the concept of a “false floor.” These teams look great on paper and generate hype, but closer inspection reveals potential roster flaws, schematic issues, or reliance on unproven stars. Even proven players can struggle when asked to thrive in different roles. These teams can still succeed, but their downside is lower than expected if things go wrong.

These five have more potential weaknesses than their preseason rankings suggest.

Michigan State lost the rebounding engine that covered for a lack of shooting. Arkansas has to replace one of the best freshman seasons in recent memory with less help around its new freshman core. Kentucky is counting on two combo guards to learn to run an offense and a young big man to become a star. Kansas has the top player in the country and questions just about everywhere else. And Tennessee has more firepower than Rick Barnes is used to, with less certainty about what has always defined his teams.

We'll start in East Lansing.

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