Another outlet has Kentucky near the top of its Way-Too-Early preseason rankings

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mark-pope-otega-oweh — Feb 8, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope talks with guard Otega Oweh (00) during the second half against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

With a roster that goes 14-deep and returns its All-SEC guard, the 2025-26 Kentucky men’s basketball team has the chance to make some serious noise come tournament time.

Already this week, we’ve seen the likes of ESPN and The Athletic crown the Wildcats with a top 10 preseason ranking, both outlets slotting Mark Pope‘s crew at ninth in the country. They aren’t alone in that line of thinking, either. Sports Illustrated’s Kevin Sweeney is even higher on Kentucky, ranking the ‘Cats seventh in his Way-Too-Early top 25 preseason poll.

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Sweeney individually lists transfers Jaland Lowe (Pitt) and Jayden Quaintance (Arizona State) as interesting newcomers, adding that Lowe’s ability to up his shooting efficiency will be an important storyline to follow throughout the season. Here is what he had to say about Pope’s second roster in the Bluegrass:

Mark Pope has his sights set on more after taking the Wildcats to the Sweet 16 in his first year on the job in Lexington, Ky. The Wildcats spent big on their roster this spring, adding 10 new players, including high-profile transfers Jaland Lowe and Jayden Quaintance while bringing back star wing Otega Oweh. Quaintance’s health is a huge question coming off a late-season ACL tear at Arizona State, but he’s a game-changing player (especially on the defensive end) if 100%. A lot rides on Lowe improving his efficiency, though Pope’s offensive system should give him more space to operate—it helped less-talented guards make a jump last season.
Kevin Sweeney, Sports Illustrated

A look at my updated top 25 with most roster decisions in the books, which seems to include a few outliers compared to where early consensus has formed: https://t.co/t1ppsJ6VOT
— Kevin Sweeney (@CBB_Central) June 3, 2025

Kentucky continues to pop up in these preseason rankings as, at the very worst, a top 15 program. Along with ESPN, The Athletic, and Sports Illustrated, other notable outlets such as Field of 68 (which has Kentucky ranked 7th), CBS Sports (12th), and College Hoops Today (12th) all project the ‘Cats to start the season as one of the best teams in the country.

Big Blue Madness can’t come soon enough…