Kentucky ranked No. 16 in final Coaches Poll of 2021-22 season

Following a surprising first-round exit from the 2022 NCAA Tournament, the voters were not kind to Kentucky’s previously held single-digit ranking.

The Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll announced its final rankings for the 2021-22 season on Tuesday afternoon where the Wildcats finished tied for No. 16 in the country. Kentucky entered the tournament ranked No. 6 overall by the Coaches Poll, earning a two-seed in the opening round by the Selection Committee, but the loss to 15-seed Saint Peter’s dropped the ‘Cats down 10 spots. Saint Peter’s finished their magical Elite 8 run ranked No. 24 by the Coaches Poll.

Miami (FL) tied Kentucky for No. 16 after the Hurricanes’ run to the Elite 8 came to a close against eventual champion, Kansas.

After putting the finishing touches on a championship season, @KUHoops claims the No. 1 ranking in the @FerrisMowers Coaches Poll.

Read more details here: https://t.co/WPrm99hGGd pic.twitter.com/SDnj7qCLCQ

— USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports) April 5, 2022

Kansas was the obvious choice for No. 1 after beating North Carolina in Monday’s title game. UNC, Duke, Villanova, and Gonzaga round out the top 5, in order. The Southeastern Conference saw four teams finish among the top 25, including Kentucky. Arkansas led the way at No. 8 after back-to-back Elite 8 appearances, while Auburn and Tennessee came in at No. 14 and No. 15.

The Murray State Racers fell two spots to No. 22 after reaching the Round of 32.

Final 2021-22 Coaches Poll rankings

1. Kansas (+2)
2. North Carolina (+26)
3. Duke (+7)
4. Villanova (+1)
5. Gonzaga (-4)
6. Arizona (-4)
7. Houston (+8)
8. Arkansas (+10)
9. Baylor (-5)
10. Purdue (-1)
11. UCLA (+1)
12. Texas Tech (-1)
13. Providence
14. Auburn (-7)
15. Tennessee (-7)
16. Miami-Florida (NR)
    Kentucky (-10)
17. ———-
18. Wisconsin (-4)
19. Illinois (-3)
20. Saint Mary’s (-4)
21. Iowa (-2)
22. Murray State (-2)
23. Iowa State
24. Saint Peter’s
25. Michigan

Schools Dropped Out

No. 21 Connecticut; No. 22 Southern California; No. 23 Boise St.; No. 24 Virginia Tech; No. 25 Texas.

Others Receiving Votes

Texas 104; Connecticut 59; Southern California 45; Michigan St 35; Virginia Tech 24; Ohio St. 23; Creighton 22; Notre Dame 20; Texas Christian 19; Memphis 15; Xavier 9; Boise St. 9; San Francisco 4; Colorado St. 4; Seton Hall 3; Rutgers 2; Louisiana State 2; Texas A&M 1.