CHICAGO -- They laughed, because a giggle qualifies as an appropriate, unprompted response to a display of dominance. Jamal Murray, who scored 16 points in No. 2 Kentucky's lopsided 74-63 win over No. 5 Duke in the Champions Classic at Chicago's United Center on Tuesday, looked at teammate Tyler Ulis(18 points, six assists, two steals and zero turnovers), adjacent to him on the postgame podium, and smiled.

That smirk accompanied an announcement to the college basketball universe that John Calipari might have built another Wildcats juggernaut that's equipped for another Final Four run following last year's 38-1 campaign.

"We build chemistry and play off each other," Murray said. "We just kind of take turns a little bit between us."

Both chuckled before Ulis added, "When he's feeling it, he lets me know and I give him the ball."

The production of Murray, Ulis and Isaiah Briscoe (46 points combined),Marcus Lee's aggression on both ends (10 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks) and defensive pressure that turned NBA prospects Grayson Allen and Brandon Ingram into a 3-for-17 mess all factored in to an impressive performance and a strong case that Kentucky is the best team in America.

Right now.

In the first week of the season, we don't know much. Much of the analyses and critiques -- the praise, too -- registers as premature or imprudent.

Call a team "great" and the social media trolls will attack, unless you're referencing their team. Ask a coach if his squad should panic after an unexpected loss and he'll tell you that it's a long, long season. Ask a coach if his team should celebrate after a big win and he'll unveil a list of concerns.