Kentucky WBB cracks ESPN's 'Way-Too-Early Top 25' for 2024-25 season

Don’t look now, Big Blue Nation — but Kenny Brooks‘ rebuild in Lexington might already be ahead of schedule.

On Monday morning, ESPN’s Charlie Creme unveiled his updated ‘Way-Too-Early Top 25’ rankings for the upcoming 2024-25 season. And where he did have Kentucky women’s basketball? Just barely sneaking onto the list at No. 25.

Here’s what Creme had to say about what Brooks has done at Kentucky after just over a month on the job:

The entire program has been revamped with the hiring of Brooks as head coach, nine transfers leaving and three more coming in. Having Georgia Amoore along with him from Virginia Tech gives Brooks the opportunity to compete in his first year in the SEC. Clara Strack also followed Brooks, and the addition of 6-4 Teonni Key from North Carolina gives Kentucky necessary size. Strack and Key, who have only started a combined three games in their careers, will be forced to progress quickly, however. Lexi Blue is a top-50 recruit, and 6-3 Australian Amelia Hassett is a JUCO transfer; both originally committed to the Hokies and are now in Lexington, as well. Previous ranking: NR

Charlie Creme, ESPN

Updated Way-Too-Early Top 25 rankings: South Carolina remains No. 1, but USC and UCLA are climbing and Stanford and Oregon State fell out as transfers shake up the poll. https://t.co/O1ZWAhLipx

— ESPN Women's Hoops (@ESPN_WomenHoop) May 6, 2024

As Creme referenced, Brooks has rebuilt the Kentucky roster from the bottom up. Only two pieces from last season’s group (plus one of the incoming recruits) under former head coach Kyra Elzy remain. The rest of the newcomers were either committed to playing for Virginia Tech (Brooks’ former team) or came over through the transfer portal.

But just like that, Brooks is now up to 11 players on board for the 2024-25 season, led by All-American guard Georgia Amoore. Kentucky also added a pair of significant transfers in recent days — Jordan Obi (Penn) and Dazia Lawrence (Charlotte) — to help round out the top of the rotation. With the collection of pieces gathered by Brooks, he’s got the media thinking positively about the Wildcats going into the fall.

It certainly won’t be a forgiving debut season for Brooks and his staff though. Defending champion South Carolina is ranked No. 1 in ESPN’s poll, followed by six more SEC programs (including newly added Texas and Oklahoma).

Below is the current state of Brooks’ roster, along with ESPN’s complete “Way-Too-Early” Top 25 rankings.

ESPN’s “Way-Too-Early Top 25” Rankings (May 6)

1. South Carolina
2. Southern California +3
3. UConn +1
4. Notre Dame -1
5. UCLA +1
6. Texas -4
7. LSU
8. NC State
9. Baylor +4
10. Iowa State
11. Duke
12. Louisville +3
13. Oklahoma +6
14. Kansas State +3
15. Ohio State +7
16. West Virginia
17. North Carolina -3
18. Florida State
19. Creighton +1
20. Nebraska +1
21. Alabama +2
22. Utah +2
23. Ole Miss NR
24. Illinois +1
25. Kentucky NR