NCAA Resume Watch: Where Kentucky stands after loss to Texas A&M

Kentucky’s loss to Texas A&M didn’t cost them much in the NET Rankings. The Cats are down only one spot to No. 18 in the latest update, the fourth highest-ranked team in the SEC behind Alabama (No. 4), Tennessee (No. 6), and Auburn (No. 8).

As we’ll do each Monday from now until Selection Sunday, let’s take a look at Kentucky’s team sheet, which the Selection Committee will use as it determines the Cats’ seed in the NCAA Tournament. Saturday’s defeat drops Kentucky’s record in Quad 1 to 2-2. The good news is Kentucky has six more Quad 1 games remaining, four of them in Quad 1A, aka the best of the best.

• Quad 1: 2-2 (6 games remaining)
• Quad 2: 1-0 (6 games remaining)
• Quad 3: 4-1 (2 games remaining)
• Quad 4: 5-0 (2 games remaining)

Quad 1: 2-2

Home: 1-30 | Neutral: 1-50 | Away: 1-75

NET Ranking	Date	Opponent	Result
4	2/24/2024	Alabama
6	3/9/2024	at Tennessee
6	2/3/2024	Tennessee
7	12/16/2023	North Carolina (CBS Sports Clasic)	W 87-83
8	2/17/2024	at Auburn
15	11/14/2023	Kansas (Champions Classic)	L 84-89
35	2/27/2024	at Mississippi St.
41	01/13/2024	at Texas A&M	L 92-97 (1 OT)
49	01/06/2024	at Florida	W 87-85
54	1/23/2024	at South Carolina

Quad 2: 1-0

Home: 31-75 | Neutral: 51-100 | Away: 76-135

NET Ranking	Date	Opponent	Result
35	1/17/2024	Mississippi State
49	1/31/2024	Florida
50	2/10/2024	Gonzaga
56	2/13/2024	Ole Miss
57	11/28/2023	Miami (FL)	W 95-73
96	2/21/2024	at LSU
113	1/27/2024	at Arkansas

Quad 3: 4-1

Home: 76-160 | Neutral: 101-200 | Away: 136-240

NET Ranking	Date	Opponent	Result
79	11/20/2023	Saint Joseph’s	W 96-88 (1 OT)
84	1/20/2024	Georgia
113	3/2/2024	Arkansas
119	1/9/2024	Missouri	W 90-77
120	12/2/2023	UNC Wilmington	L 73-80
161	12/9/2023	Penn (Neutral)	W 81-66
233	12/21/2023	at Louisville	W 95-76

Quad 4: 5-0

Home: 161-362 | Neutral: 201-362 | Away: 241-362

NET Ranking	Date	Opponent	Result
210	11/24/2023	Marshall	W 118-82
243	12/29/2023	Illinois State	W 96-70
249	3/6/2024	Vanderbilt
249	02/06/2024	at Vanderbilt
284	11/6/2023	New Mexico State	W 86-46
317	11/10/2023	Texas A&M-Commerce	W 81-61
353	11/17/2023	Stonehill	W 101-67

Team Sheet Notes

— Miami (FL) and Gonzaga, which felt like sure-fire Quad 1 opponents heading into the season, continue to struggle. The Canes are down 17 spots in the NET from last week’s Resume Watch to No. 57 after a loss to Louisville and a win at Virginia Tech. Gonzaga is down five spots to No. 50 after a loss to Santa Clara. For now, these games are comfortably in Quad 2 territory.

— Speaking of preseason-ranked teams doing poorly, oof, Arkansas. The Razorbacks have lost three straight, falling at Georgia (77-66) and Florida (90-68) last week. Right now, they are not a good basketball team. Kentucky’s trip to Fayetteville at the end of this month remains in Quad 2, 22 spots from falling into Quad 3 should Arkansas’ woes continue.

— Quad movement since last week’s Resume Watch:

• Saint Joseph’s win up to Quad 2 from Quad 3
• Louisville win up to Quad 3 from Quad 4

— The UNC Wilmington loss is still firmly in Quad 3. The Seahawks won two games last week, vs. Monmouth and Delaware, resulting in a 14-spot bump in the NET. Keep climbing, Seahawks.

— Why is Kentucky No. 18 in the NET when it’s Top 10 in both the AP and Coaches Polls? Adam Luckett had a good breakdown of this last week in his Bracket Rundown, but the computers are lower on the Cats than the pollsters due to a weak non-conference schedule. Right now, Kentucky has only played in four Quad 1 games, winning two. By contrast, some teams (Purdue, Arizona, North Carolina, Kansas, Houston, UConn, Wisconsin) have already played six or more Quad 1 games. As SEC play picks up, the Cats will move up in the NET, KenPom, BPI, etc. if they take care of business. With six Quad 1 games remaining, the schedule is backloaded.

The Road Ahead

Here is where each remaining game sits on the team sheet according to the current NET rankings. This week, Kentucky can pick up Quad 2 and 3 wins vs. Mississippi State and Georgia at home. Mississippi State is No. 35 in the NET, putting that game on the cusp of Quad 1 (Home 1-30). Kentucky’s next Quad 1 opportunity is at South Carolina a week from tomorrow.

Date	Opponent	NET Ranking	Quad
1/17/2024	Mississippi State	35	Quad 2
1/20/2024	Georgia	84	Quad 3
1/23/2024	at South Carolina	54	Quad 1
1/27/2024	at Arkansas	113	Quad 2
1/31/2024	Florida	49	Quad 2
2/3/2024	Tennessee	6	Quad 1
02/06/2024	at Vanderbilt	249	Quad 4
2/10/2024	Gonzaga	50	Quad 2
2/13/2024	Ole Miss	56	Quad 2
2/17/2024	at Auburn	8	Quad 1
2/21/2024	at LSU	96	Quad 2
2/24/2024	Alabama	4	Quad 1
2/27/2024	at Mississippi St.	35	Quad 1
3/2/2024	Arkansas	113	Quad 3
3/6/2024	Vanderbilt	249	Quad 4
3/9/2024	at Tennessee	6	Quad 1

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