Kentucky fans could have a lot to enjoy this season. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Others might not think quite as highly of Kentucky basketball as UK fans do but coach Mark Pope’s team is getting a lot of love going into the season, especially compared to this time a year ago when Pope had a completely new roster.
Kentucky was picked to finish second in the Southeastern Conference behind Florida, last year’s national champion.
The predicted order of finish behind Florida and Kentucky in the preseason poll selected by SEC and national media members was: Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Missouri, Ole Miss, Texas, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Georgia, LSU and South Carolina.
Kentucky is also in the top 10 of the Associated Press preseason poll. The Cats cracked the top 10 with the No. 9 ranking.
According to UK media relations, this is the 58th time in program history that the Wildcats are among the top-rated teams to open the season in 65 preseason AP polls. Kentucky leads all programs with 992 appearances in the weekly poll, which is in its 77th season.
Kentucky will host Purdue in an exhibition game Oct. 24 and the Boilermakers will start the season No. 1 in the AP poll followed by Houston, Florida, Connecticut and St. John’s.
Pope has made it clear he wants to always play a strong schedule and four non-conference foes — St. John’s (No. 5), Louisville (No. 11), Gonzaga (No. 21) and Michigan State (No. 22) — are on the schedule along with the exhibition game against Purdue.
A nation-tying six Southeastern Conference teams are also in the preseason AP Top 25 — Florida (No. 3), Arkansas (No. 14), Alabama (No. 15), Tennessee (No. 18) and Auburn (No. 20). Six more – Texas, Ole Miss, Missouri, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State and Oklahoma – received votes in the preseason balloting.
6 Responses
As has been the case most seasons, this season will be defined by 11 games.
Pomeroy has UK favored in 9 of those 11 games.
Margin Opponent Venue
3 1/2 Purdue Home
0 Louisville Away
2 1/2 Gonzaga Neutral
4 St. John's Neutral
2 1/2 Alabama Away
-1 Tennessee Away
2 Vanderbilt Away
2 1/2 Arkansas Away
-3 1/2 Florida Away
2 1/2 Auburn Away
4 1/2 Texas A&M Away
3 Florida Home
This is the most optimistic preseason in nearly a decade.
I like having Purdue and Georgetown as preseason opponents rather than the recent array of cupcakes that have been invited into Rupp for an evening in the bright lights and on the big stage, but these games did nothing to develop the UK teams.
Thank you Coach Pope for bringing UK basketball back to relevancy.
Thanks Professor
BTW, preseason expectations are one thing. Performance is all that matters, and that performance that matters begins now.
I think they could run the table and finish the job where the FRAUD couldn't.
In today's game not going to happen way too much parity compare it was 10 years ago due to the transfers and NIL money.
Just like always, or at least 22 of the last 25 years, the field will sort itself out and a group of 4 to 8 teams will emerge and rise to the top like cream, and the champion will emerge from that small group. No one can say who those 4 to 8 contenders are now. However, I believe those teams will begin to emerge into clear view, as they do most years, by the end of November.
This year will be no different. Either will next year, and last year was just the same too.
Since 1997, the champion has been the most efficient team in the land over 50% of the time. The Champion, if not #1, has been #2, #3, or #4 another 25% of the time. Champions have emerged from the 5 – 8 range about 15% of the time, and true outliers have navigated the tournament the the championship about 10% of the time.
These are the data.
As always, I want my team to be the #1 most efficient team in the nation.
This is only accomplished by teams that hit the ground running in November and never look back.