
Kentucky Basketball Shocks Fans, Lands at No. 9 in Surprising Coaches Top 25 Poll Reveal!
Kentucky is entering the second year of the Mark Pope era with a much rosier outlook than last season — this time, they’re not just scraping into the top 25; they’re a solid consensus top-10 squad. After a debut campaign where they barely made a splash, they’ve now matched the all-time regular-season record for wins against AP Top-15 opponents, signaling that the Cats have some serious bite. And speaking of bites, get ready for a high-stakes exhibition at Rupp Arena this Friday as Kentucky squares off against none other than the Purdue Boilermakers — the unanimous No. 1 team to start the season. The SEC is well-represented too, led by Florida perched at No. 3, with Arkansas, Alabama, Tennessee, and Auburn also on the list. The schedule? Oh, it’s merciless — with challenging clashes against St. John’s, Louisville, Gonzaga, Michigan State, and North Carolina. The Cats certainly aren’t easing into this season, and, honestly, I can’t wait to see if they’re ready to walk the walk.
This means Kentucky will be a consensus top-10 team to start Year 2 of the Mark Pope era after barely cracking the top 25 in his debut season before tying the all-time regular-season mark for wins vs. AP Top-15 teams.
The Purdue Boilermakers took home the top spot, just as they were in the AP Poll, so the Cats get the consensus No. 1 team at Rupp Arena for a Friday night exhibition matchup.
The Florida Gators are the highest-ranked SEC team at No. 3. Arkansas (15), Alabama (16), Tennessee (17), and Auburn (22) also made the cut.
Kentucky also has regular-season matchups with No. 6 St. John’s, No. 10 Louisville, No. 20 Gonzaga, No. 21 Michigan State, and No. 25 North Carolina.
Safe to say the Cats have another loaded schedule. Here’s to hoping they’ll be ready for the path ahead.
Others Receiving Votes: North Carolina State 33; Oregon 26; San Diego State 15; Ohio State 15; Baylor 13; Virginia 11; Vanderbilt 10; USC 7; Texas 6; Villanova 5; Missouri 5; Ole Miss 4; Washington 3; Saint Mary’s 3; Iowa 3; Cincinnati 3; VCU 2; Oklahoma State 1; Kansas State 1; Boise State 1
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