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Early rankings

J

Jamal Mercer

Heisman
Feb 7, 2008
10,805
23,536
0
Just did a quick search of recent rankings articles and this is where UK was put….

On3 was most recent and had UK at #5 but no mention of Aberdeen. UL #4
www.on3.com

Way-too-early Top 25 college basketball rankings 3.0: Transfer, draft decisions change 2025-26 landscape

Here is a way-too-early look at what the Top 25 rankings could look like in the 2025-26 season after Florida is crowned champion.
www.on3.com www.on3.com

CBS has UK at #10 with no writeup. UL #12

ESPN has UK #9 with no mention of Jelavic or Aberdeen. UL #4 (8 days ago)

Seems we are a lock as a top 10 team. Maybe top 6 or 7.
 
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PoBilly

PoBilly

All-Conference
Mar 18, 2012
2,784
4,460
98
Hope they preseason rankings have us 20th to 25th. No way we are not a top 3 to 5 team. But this will put a chip on the shoulders of the team, players and coaches. GO BIG BLUE!!!!!!!!!!!
 
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P

Padsfs07

All-Conference
Jan 19, 2013
3,485
3,156
108
Borzello just came out with a new one for ESPN. We dropped to 10th with the Aberdeen addition, but mostly because he moved St Johns way up to #3.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-b...all-top-25-rankings-transfer-portal-2025-2026

The Johnnies are going to be a menace. Pitino has now gotten 5 good players all from P5 schools.

I don't really get the Texas Tech ranking. Atwell, Bryan, and Watts is a clear drop off from Hawkins, McMillan, and D. Williams...and they have no bench at all.

Duke looks really overrated at #11. Same with Auburn, Tennessee, and Florida at 15, 16, and 19 respectively.
 
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kywildcat1021979

kywildcat1021979

Heisman
Jan 10, 2015
18,371
30,443
62
Padsfs07 said:
Borzello just came out with a new one for ESPN. We dropped to 10th with the Aberdeen addition, but mostly because he moved St Johns way up to #3.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-b...all-top-25-rankings-transfer-portal-2025-2026

The Johnnies are going to be a menace. Pitino has now gotten 5 good players all from P5 schools.

I don't really get the Texas Tech ranking. Atwell, Bryan, and Watts is a clear drop off from Hawkins, McMillan, and D. Williams...and they have no bench at all.

Duke looks really overrated at #11. Same with Auburn, Tennessee, and Florida at 15, 16, and 19 respectively.
Click to expand...
We started out like # 4 when we had added just a few players and it was right before the Jayden add I really hate ESPN. Why don't they just go ahead and drop us out of the top 25.... That's all this talented team needs coming into the season is a huge chip on their shoulders!
 
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B

bucsrule8872

Heisman
May 30, 2005
24,397
29,352
0
Last year, everyone had us barely top 25 and were a top 5 team before injuries took us down.

We stay healthy and we will be a real contender this season.

Houston and Purdue are legit. If Karaban comes back, UConn is legit.

All the other SEC teams are coming back down to earth a bit with all the Super Seniors plus regular Seniors they are losing. Auburn, Bama, Tenn, and Florida all had to replace a bunch of experience and talent.

In most of those rankings, we are the top SEC team.

That bodes well for us. The SEC is not near as loaded as it was this past season. We lost a lot of talent, but everyone else did as well and I think Pope has done a better job (so far) in the portal than the other SEC coaches.

We were really the fifth best team in the SEC, in a league that was historically good. Those programs above us had spent the last few years building those Senior laden rosters and now they are gone. They will have trouble replacing guys that have been their cornerstones for the last few years like Clayton, Richard, Sears, Nelson, Broome, Zeigler, etc.

Should be about time for UK to return to the top.
 
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G

G-PIP

All-American
Mar 14, 2014
5,286
5,964
0
Padsfs07 said:
Borzello just came out with a new one for ESPN. We dropped to 10th with the Aberdeen addition, but mostly because he moved St Johns way up to #3.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-b...all-top-25-rankings-transfer-portal-2025-2026

The Johnnies are going to be a menace. Pitino has now gotten 5 good players all from P5 schools.

I don't really get the Texas Tech ranking. Atwell, Bryan, and Watts is a clear drop off from Hawkins, McMillan, and D. Williams...and they have no bench at all.

Duke looks really overrated at #11. Same with Auburn, Tennessee, and Florida at 15, 16, and 19 respectively.
Click to expand...
Just a couple of takes I had on the latest ESPN early rankings you posted:
  • I like Michigan and UConn more than Louisville. I felt like McKneely at TN with Gillespie was a much better backcourt than McKneely beside Brown at UL. Just my feeling about the way the players fit together.
  • Not a believer yet in BYU being Top 10.
  • Ark. at #9 based on the posted starting lineup is a joke. If I were the Ark. AD I think I would fire Calipari the first game he put that starting lineup on the floor.
  • I think the Duke ranking at #11 is probably fair, especially if Isiaih Evans is ready.
  • I believe that FL needs Condon back and at least one other good experienced tough player in the backcourt – losing Aberdeen to UK hurt a lot I think - but if they get that I think they could be near the Top 10.
 
M

megablue

Heisman
Oct 2, 2012
14,280
14,116
113
Jamal Mercer said:
Just did a quick search of recent rankings articles and this is where UK was put….

On3 was most recent and had UK at #5 but no mention of Aberdeen. UL #4
www.on3.com

Way-too-early Top 25 college basketball rankings 3.0: Transfer, draft decisions change 2025-26 landscape

Here is a way-too-early look at what the Top 25 rankings could look like in the 2025-26 season after Florida is crowned champion.
www.on3.com www.on3.com

CBS has UK at #10 with no writeup. UL #12

ESPN has UK #9 with no mention of Jelavic or Aberdeen. UL #4 (8 days ago)

Seems we are a lock as a top 10 team. Maybe top 6 or 7.
Click to expand...
Posted this morning ... fwiw
www.espn.com

Ranking the top 25 men's basketball teams after the transfer portal close

A new team at the top. Another that climbs 12 spots. And more teams moving up or down in our latest forecast.
www.espn.com www.espn.com
 
B

bucsrule8872

Heisman
May 30, 2005
24,397
29,352
0
Michigan is contingent on Lendeborg playing and that’s a big if, since he is going through the draft proscess and is projected to go in the first. He almost has to go if he’s a first rounder. It would be crazy for him to pass up being a first round draft pick.

I could see him staying in the draft and Michigan falling out of the top 10.

Arkansas looks pretty good on paper, but Cal is still the coach.

I would put us in the 8-10 range, right now.
 
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D

dmacforheisman

Junior
Mar 27, 2007
41,111
356
0
BBNinSC said:
Arkansas is the glaring overrated team to me. The players they have coming in are not nearly as good as the players departing. This team was a loss to South Carolina away from missing the NCAA tournament and they will be worse.
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Based on what? Acuff and Thomas are both higher rated prospects than Fland was. Ewin essentially replaces Thiero statistically and Adou didn’t even play toward the end of the year. Pringle had better numbers across the board than Ivisic/Aidoo. Davis you probably have a point though, I’d expect Knox and Richmond to get his leftover PT and they should improve going into their second year.
 
B

bucsrule8872

Heisman
May 30, 2005
24,397
29,352
0
dmacforheisman said:
Based on what? Acuff and Thomas are both higher rated prospects than Fland was. Ewin essentially replaces Thiero statistically and Adou didn’t even play toward the end of the year. Pringle had better numbers across the board than Ivisic/Aidoo. Davis you probably have a point though, I’d expect Knox and Richmond to get his leftover PT and they should improve going into their second year.
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I tend to agree.

I think y’all need one more player for your inside rotation. Cal always likes having four to rotate at the 4 and 5.

On paper, the team looks just as strong as last year’s. But I will say this, you guys will miss Thiero. He had that toughness that is hard to replace.

It will be interesting to see what Cal does in the backcourt with the rotation. He loves to play his elite Freshmen guards, but Wagner has started every year for him, so he’s going to start. Cal probably convinced Thomas that he can be like Sheppard and Dillingham, and he doesn’t need to start.
 
W1LDCAT22

W1LDCAT22

All-Conference
Jan 10, 2013
1,101
1,339
113
Jamal Mercer said:
Just did a quick search of recent rankings articles and this is where UK was put….

On3 was most recent and had UK at #5 but no mention of Aberdeen. UL #4
www.on3.com

Way-too-early Top 25 college basketball rankings 3.0: Transfer, draft decisions change 2025-26 landscape

Here is a way-too-early look at what the Top 25 rankings could look like in the 2025-26 season after Florida is crowned champion.
www.on3.com www.on3.com

CBS has UK at #10 with no writeup. UL #12

ESPN has UK #9 with no mention of Jelavic or Aberdeen. UL #4 (8 days ago)

Seems we are a lock as a top 10 team. Maybe top 6 or 7.
Click to expand...
A lot of the "talking heads" and analysts really love Louisville this year. I get some of it, but they are really clogged in the backcourt and thin in the front. I just watched a Field of 68 video on YouTube where the guy with Jeff Goodman said that he would take Louisville's roster over Kentucky's, and this was after the Aberdeen addition. Them guys are laughable.
 
N

noncomposmentis

Senior
Feb 15, 2025
220
432
0
Some - as in very few - of these sorts of rankings are genuine attempts to assess teams and put them in order. To inform, in other words. The vast majority are concerned with only one thing - driving interest/traffic to the website or account. I like Jon Rothstein, but my guess is he's thinking who cares in April who the presumed best teams are for a season not starting until November? The thing to do is to make folks talk! And there is no fan base a better target for rage bait than your Kentucky Wildcats. Slight UK, and here comes BBN. Mission accomplished.....
 
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TortElvisII

TortElvisII

Heisman
May 7, 2010
51,701
96,948
66
Champ pre-season rank

2016 Villanova 11

2017 North Carolina 3

2018 Villanova 6

2019 Virginia 1

2021 Baylor 2

2022 Kansas 4


2023 Conn 3

2024 Conn 3

2025 Florida 21
 
B

Blue-ish

All-Conference
Apr 24, 2024
355
1,114
0
W1LDCAT22 said:
A lot of the "talking heads" and analysts really love Louisville this year. I get some of it, but they are really clogged in the backcourt and thin in the front. I just watched a Field of 68 video on YouTube where the guy with Jeff Goodman said that he would take Louisville's roster over Kentucky's, and this was after the Aberdeen addition. Them guys are laughable.
Click to expand...
I read that Louisville will be playing a three guard offense with heavy emphasis on the three point shot.
 
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