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Kentucky men’s basketball has reached a new high this season, coming in at No. 9 in the Associated Press Top-25 rankings. The Wildcats are 8-2 through their first 10 games of the season and have played some of the best offensive basketball fans have seen during the John Calipari era.
This updated ranking comes just two days after Kentucky knocked off then-No. 9 North Carolina in a CBS Sports Classic thriller. It’s the highest ranking the Wildcats have received this season, with their previous high being No. 12 a few weeks ago.
Calipari and his team do have a narrow loss to then-No. 1 Kansas on a neutral site and a rather ugly home loss to UNC-Wilmington, but Kentucky also boasts wins over then-No. 8 Miami and their most recent victory over the Tar Heels.
Kentucky’s schedule thins out a bit over the next couple of weeks with games at Louisville and home against Illinois State – both of which the Wildcats are expected to win convincingly. Once the New Year begins, Kentucky will dive into conference play with their first game at Florida on January 6th.
If the Wildcats can take care of business over the next two weeks, they should enter both 2024 as well as conference play inside the AP Top-10.
17 Responses
Climbing back into the top 10 making news shows just how far our program has degraded. Let the squealing begin, lol.
I guess the same can be said about Duke, yet they’re not even ranked in the top 10 or how about NC not even making the tournament last season, after winning it all the year before. I swear I really think you jump on here just find a way to complain about anything lol
Duke was in the FF just 2 years ago along with Kansas and UNC while we lost to St Peter.
UK and Indiana are the ONLY 2 blue bloods or new bloods Nova and UCONN that haven’t made a FF in the 2020’s.
Every other blue blood and new blood outside of UK, UCLA, and IU have won a NC since our last one 12 years ago.
Nova and UCONN have actually won more than one apiece over that time.
Basically since 2015 were no better than IU when it matters in March. We actually lost to a bad Tom Crean coached IU team the last time we met in March.
It used to be news when we fell outside of the top 10. Now it’s news when we make it in the top 10.
That’s how low the fraud Cal has taken our once great program.
Trolling is when someone post or comments online to deliberately upset others. In short: Trolling is when someone deliberately tries to upset others online. Trolling can lead to a pile on, when others join in the attack.
Every coach at UK has had down years and that should be expected if the coach stays for any length of time, or if they just start out that way (Billy G). Yes, I have been upset with Cal and I can’t say that it will bother me even a little bit when he leaves. However, having said that, I do give Cal credit for making some necessary changes. I think he has had some good hires on the bench. He has recruited better players. He has recruited a bunch of players that seem to listen. He has put together a team that plays an enjoyable style of ball. Pitino is the last coach at UK to accomplish those things. Tubby had some good teams and he would play enjoyable ball up until the Conference started, then he would slow them down. Having actual basketball players makes a big difference over having great athletes that you are trying teach to play basketball. No, I don’t care for Cal all that much, but I will give him credit for making good changes and bringing back exciting basketball. Give credit where credit is due.
Crying about anything and everything shows how pathetic "fans" like you have become. When the Cats win it all this year don’t celebrate because it will show you are a fair weather hypocrite. Cal has already said the Cats play for the faithful, not the CRYBABIES! GO CAL’S CATS!!!
The above is Crybaby Barry.
Rah rah rah Jimmy! You look good in a skirt!
I agree it has degraded since that Maxey team. But i don’t put it all on Cal we just didn’t have the talent and depth like we do now. We had some talent in general. But nothing like this group is talent from the top to all the way to the bottom.
This is an excerpt from SB Nation by John Haste:
Since taking over at Kentucky, every Calipari-coached team that won a game in Atlanta has gone on to reach the Final Four.
The 2010-11 team won the SEC Tournament in Atlanta before Brandon Knight led the Cats to the Final Four.
The 2012 National Championship team won their Sweet 16 matchup against Indiana and their Elite Eight matchup against Baylor in Atlanta.
In 2013-14, the Cats won their first two games of the SEC Tournament in Atlanta before falling 61-60 in the Championship to Florida. That team would go on to face UConn in the National Championship game.
The 2012-13, 2017-18, and 2020-21 teams all lost their matchups in Atlanta, and none of those teams made the Final Four. In fact, two of those teams failed to make the NCAA Tournament.
The 2023-24 Cats have already punched their Atlanta win card and will hopefully punch their ticket to the Final Four in March.
I guess if you can’t coach, you might as well be lucky.
Interesting observations!
& I guess since you couldn’t make it as a real coach, might as well become a coach potato coach lol huh?
ROFLMFAO! !
Squeal Calipari lover Squeal!
I like the fact that we started the season outside the top 15 and have climbed into the to 10. It is far better than being ranked in the top 10 in the preseason then falling out do to inconsistent play from a young squad. Better to earn your way in and this team that Cal has put together is doing just that! ! They are doing so well that the Trolls have to search for something to complain about! Great Job Coach Cal! ! !
Uk is moving up all teams have their ups and downs that’s life I’m a wildcat fan in the good times or bad times.
I’m a wildcat fan too just not a Cal fan. People easily get that confused. Some think it’s the University of Calipari when we’ve had 4 other coaches win NC’s outside of him.
Maybe we should change Rupp arena to Cal arena.
Heck just change from the University of KY to the University of Calipari.