Jon Rothstein lists Kentucky No. 9 in SEC Preseason Power Ranking

No. 9 for banner No. 9? That’d have to be the path to a title if Jon Rothstein’s analysis holds going into Mark Pope’s first season at Kentucky.

The CBS Sports insider and College Hoops Today analyst released his SEC Offseason Breakdown on Monday, one featuring preseason power rankings, all-conference teams, sleepers, impact freshmen and transfers, projected starting fives and breakout players. How are the Wildcats viewed, especially with the league arguably the strongest in college basketball?

Rothstein has them right in the middle of the pack, ranked No. 9 overall among 16 total SEC teams — eight programs ahead and seven behind. There are a few familiar faces atop the list, as expected, to go with a few surprises beating out Kentucky in the upper half of the conference.

1. Alabama
2. Arkansas
3. Auburn
4. Texas A&M
5. Florida
6. Tennessee
7. Texas
8. Ole Miss
9. Kentucky
10. Mississippi State
11. Georgia
12. South Carolina
13. Missouri
14. Oklahoma
15. LSU
16. Vanderbilt

Kerr Kriisa, Koby Brea, Jaxson Robinson, Andrew Carr and Amari Williams were all listed as impact transfers while Lamong Butler was considered an under-the-radar transfer. The Wildcats did not have any breakout players, impact freshmen, or All-SEC Preseason First-Team members while Alabama’s Mark Sears was named SEC Preseason Player of the Year.

Why the concern? High-major experience. This Kentucky team has vets, but several key pieces are making serious jumps to SEC basketball and seamless transitions aren’t always guaranteed.

“It’s a brand-new team in Lexington in year one for Mark Pope at his alma mater — remember, he was a part of the ’96 team under Rick Pitino that won a national championship,” Rothstein said on the College Hoops Today Podcast. “People automatically think that just because a team wears Kentucky across its chest, it’s going to be really, really good. I want to remind people this: there are major, major jumps at hand for many of Kentucky’s players who have transferred to Lexington.”

Jaxson Robinson came from the Big 12 with prior SEC experience, Andrew Carr came from the ACC, Brandon Garrison came from the Big 12, Kerr Kriisa has played in the Big 12 and Pac-12 and Otega Oweh started in the Big 12. Five other incoming transfers, though, come from mid-majors and are expected to be rotation pieces — some top contributors.

Will they all be ready from day one? Rothstein is in wait-and-see mode before buying stock in the Cats.

“Amari Williams, a center, he’s going from Drexel to now being potentially the starting center for the University of Kentucky,” he said. “Lamont Butler, the hero on the Final Four run two years ago for San Diego State, he is now going from the Mountain West to the University of Kentucky. Koby Brea, a dynamic shooter who excelled last year at Dayton, he is going from the Atlantic 10 to the University of Kentucky.

“All of those players are stepping up a different weight class and Mark Pope is stepping up a different weight class, as well.”

Can the moving parts come together and adjust to SEC length, speed and physicality? Those factors will likely decide Kentucky’s fate in year one under Pope.