The computer rankings haven't given up on Kentucky despite 5-4 start

Kentucky is no longer considered a top 25 team in either of the AP or Coaches Polls, but the calculated computer rankings haven’t given up on the Wildcats just yet.

Following the fourth loss of the season to a ranked opponent, Kentucky checked in at 32nd in the latest AP Poll and 33rd in the Coaches Poll, which were both released Monday afternoon. It’s the first time since January 2023 that the AP did not rank the Wildcats. Pretty much every media-made poll out there has UK outside of the top 25, most of them slotting the ‘Cats somewhere in the 30s.

None of that is shocking as we’re now nine games into the 2025-26 season. Kentucky has performed like a bad basketball team in three of the four ranked losses. UK lost by eight to Louisville, 17 to Michigan State, and most recently, 35 to Gonzaga. The fourth loss wasn’t any prettier, but at least that game was closer: a three-point defeat to North Carolina, albeit at home inside Rupp Arena.

However, despite those four poor results, the computer-generated numbers aren’t ready to knock Kentucky all the way down. KenPom has the Wildcats ranked 20th (and the only four-loss team in the top 50), while BartTorvik has Mark Pope‘s second team ranked 25th. EvanMiya is the lowest on Kentucky at 27th. Per CBB Analytics, Kentucky’s net rating (which measures the team’s point differential — points scored vs. points allowed — per 100 possessions) is still 23.7, which puts the ‘Cats in the 93rd percentile (and 23rd among the five major conferences) among all Division I college basketball teams.

Just looking at the chart in the tweet below, you’d think Kentucky is actually playing quite well to begin the season.

ADJUSTED RATINGS AFTER 5 WEEKS 👀 pic.twitter.com/ldfiYRgNME

— CBB Analytics (@CBBAnalytics) December 8, 2025

But those who have watched the actual games know that Kentucky is not playing up to those numbers. It’s not quite as simple as I’m about to make it sound, but the computer-generated numbers are likely inflating Kentucky’s five wins more than they should. UK’s victories this season have come against the following opponents:

• 77-51 vs. Nicholls (No. 255 KenPom)
• 107-59 vs. Valparaiso (No. 199 KenPom)
• 99-53 vs. Eastern Illinois (No. 333 KenPom)
• 88-46 vs. Loyola (No. 320 KenPom)
• 104-54 vs. Tennessee Tech (No. 260 KenPom)

That’s an average margin of victory of 42.4 points, none of them coming against a team ranked higher than 199th in the KenPom national rankings. Factor in that all four of Kentucky’s losses have come against teams all ranked in the top 25 by both the media and the computers, and you can understand why some of the fancy projections struggle to match up with the eye test. But that will quickly change if Kentucky continues to play poorly against Indiana and St. John’s, not to mention the upcoming SEC schedule.