Kentucky is No. 23 in the AP College Basketball Preseason Poll

Mark Pope’s first Kentucky team will be ranked to start the season. The AP College Basketball was just released and Kentucky is No. 23.

This is the 57th time the Cats have been ranked in the AP College Basketball Poll, which has been published continuously since the 1950-51 season. As you know, there was a complete overhaul this offseason following John Calipari’s move to Arkansas, with Pope assembling a new staff and roster including nine transfers and three freshmen.

Kansas is the No. 1 team in the country to start the season, followed by Alabama, UConn, Houston, and Iowa State. Kentucky is one of nine SEC teams in the Top 25: Alabama (No. 2), Auburn (No. 11), Tennessee (No. 12), Texas A&M (No. 13), Arkansas (No. 16), Texas (No. 19), Florida (No. 21), and Ole Miss (No. 24). Two of the Cats’ non-conference foes are also ranked: Gonzaga (No. 6) and Duke (No. 7). Ohio State, Clemson, and Louisville also received votes.

The Cats tip off the 2024-25 season three weeks from today vs. Wright State, but there are three more opportunities to see them before then. Friday is the Blue/White Game at Memorial Coliseum. On Wednesday, Oct. 23, the Cats host Kentucky Wesleyan in the first of two exhibition games at Rupp Arena. Minnesota State comes to Lexington for the other on Tuesday, Oct. 29.

AP College Basketball Preseason Poll

1. Kansas (30) – 1,449
2. Alabama (14) – 1,428
3. UConn (11) – 1,345
4. Houston (4) – 1,343
5. Iowa State – 1,177
6. Gonzaga – 1,157
7. Duke – 1,154
8. Baylor – 1,109
9. North Carolina – 1,037
10. Arizona – 905
11. Auburn – 901
12. Tennessee – 775
13. Texas A&M – 737
14. Purdue – 678
15. Creighton – 631
16. Arkansas – 625
17. Indiana – 492
18. Marquette – 484
19. Texas – 332
20. Cincinnati – 271
21. Florida – 249
22. UCLA – 210
23. Kentucky – 191
24. Ole Miss – 132
25. Rutgers – 102

Others Receiving Votes: Illinois 92, St. John’s 91, Xavier 73, Texas Tech 58, Wake Forest 37, Kansas St 30, Michigan St. 29, Ohio St. 29, Michigan 19, BYU 14, Oregon 12, McNeese St. 11, Miami 11, Boise St. 9, Saint Louis 9, Clemson 9, Providence 9, Mississippi St. 6, VCU 6, Wisconsin 5, Saint Mary’s 5, Louisville 4, UAB 4, Ark Little Rock 3, Grand Canyon 3, Arizona St 2, San Diego St. 2, Princeton 2, High Point 1, Maryland 1.

Kentucky in Other Preseason Rankings

With three weeks until the season, national outlets and writers are also sharing their preseason rankings. There is no consensus on where the Cats should land. Kentucky is as low as No. 42 in the KenPom ratings and as high as No. 14 in Andy Katz’s rankings. Here’s a roundup:

• Andy Katz: No. 14 – Calipari’s former team comes in right behind the Razorbacks. The Wildcats may have lost some pieces to the portal, but new head coach Mark Pope has built a solid roster featuring Koby Brea and Lamont Butler in the backcourt and Andrew Carr holding down the paint. 
• John Fanta: No. 22 – The Mark Pope Era is here, and the Wildcats have a lot of depth. People seem to forget he took BYU into the nation’s top conference, the Big 12, and went to the tournament with a top-25 caliber team. Jaxson Robinson and Koby Brea are going to make a lethal duo, and I think the Cats could be a real dark horse come March.
• ESPN: No. 23 – Mark Pope’s first roster at Kentucky looks drastically different from most of his predecessor’s teams. Out are the five-star freshmen, in are a slew of prolific 3-point shooters to stretch defenses. Jaxson Robinson followed Pope from BYU, and he’s the best addition of the group, playing himself onto NBA draft boards despite coming off the bench for the Cougars last season. He’s joined by Koby Brea (Dayton), Otega Oweh (Oklahoma), Kerr Kriisa (West Virginia) and Andrew Carr (Wake Forest) as high-level shooters, while Lamont Butler (San Diego State) and Amari Williams (Drexel) bring defensive prowess.
• Field of 68: No. 23
• Jon Rothstein: No. 31
• KenPom: No. 42