Kentucky debuts at No. 2 in first CBS Power Rankings of 2024-25 season

Kentucky F Andrew Carr and Jaxson Robinson celebrate a win over Duke, via Dylan Ballard

Kentucky’s win over Duke has everyone in the national media (aside from Jay Williams) wanting to talk about the Wildcats. We already saw the folks from ESPN, KenPom, and more move Mark Pope‘s team way up in the unofficial midweek polls.

But no one seems higher on the ‘Cats right now than Kyle Boone of CBS Sports.

In his first Power Rankings of the 2024-25 season, Boone slotted Kentucky at No. 2 overall, trailing only the Auburn Tigers as his pick for the best team in the country through just 10 days of the regular season.

“It took all of three games for Mark Pope to capture a signature victory at Kentucky,” Boone wrote. “UK outlasted No. 6 Duke on Tuesday in the Champions Classic, nailing 10 3s in the win and downing Duke despite a huge game from Blue Devils freshman phenom Cooper Flagg.”

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Boone clarified that his Power Rankings abide by his own personal guidelines. He puts an emphasis on recent performances, accounting for things such as competition, injuries, team momentum, and even “vibes”. His first Power Rankings includes 16 teams, but only ones that are coming off wins, so Duke was not included. UK is one of four SEC teams that cracked the initial list while Rick Pitino‘s St. John’s squad checks in at No. 12.

With the Duke game the only one on the schedule this week for Kentucky, expect the ‘Cats to ride that high into next week’s national rankings update from the AP and Coaches Polls. UK is currently ranked 19th in the AP and 18th in the Coaches. Don’t be surprised if they’re knocking on the door of a Top 10 spot come Monday.