Kentucky debuts in Top 15 of first NET Rankings
The first NET Rankings of the 2025-26 college basketball season are out, and Kentucky’s in a pretty decent spot, all things considered.
The Cats are No. 15 in the initial rankings, the fourth-highest-ranked SEC team. Vanderbilt is the highest, coming in at No. 4, followed by Tennessee (No. 12) and Alabama (No. 14). Both teams that have beaten Kentucky are side by side in the top 10, Louisville coming in at No. 9 and Michigan State at No. 10. North Carolina, Tuesday’s opponent in the ACC/SEC Challenge, is No. 26. Gonzaga, which Kentucky will face on Friday in Nashville, is No. 5. Indiana, which comes to Rupp Arena on Dec. 13, is No. 11. St. John’s, Kentucky’s opponent in the CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta on Dec. 20, is No. 23.
Michigan is the No. 1 team in the NET coming off an impressive showing in the Players Era Festival. Duke is No. 2, and Purdue is No. 3. The Boilermakers are No. 1 in the AP and Coaches Polls, which will both be updated later this morning.
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NET Rankings – December 1
| Rank | School | Record | Conf | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan | 7-0 | Big Ten | 3-0 | 1-0 | 3-0 | 0-0 |
| 2 | Duke | 8-0 | ACC | 2-0 | 1-0 | 0-0 | 5-0 |
| 3 | Purdue | 7-0 | Big Ten | 2-0 | 1-0 | 2-0 | 2-0 |
| 4 | Vanderbilt | 8-0 | SEC | 2-0 | 2-0 | 1-0 | 3-0 |
| 5 | Gonzaga | 7-1 | WCC | 1-1 | 1-0 | 3-0 | 2-0 |
| 6 | Arizona | 7-0 | Big 12 | 2-0 | 1-0 | 0-0 | 4-0 |
| 7 | Iowa State | 7-0 | Big 12 | 1-0 | 1-0 | 2-0 | 3-0 |
| 8 | UConn | 6-1 | Big East | 2-1 | 1-0 | 0-0 | 3-0 |
| 9 | Louisville | 7-0 | ACC | 1-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 | 5-0 |
| 10 | Michigan State | 7-0 | Big Ten | 2-0 | 1-0 | 1-0 | 3-0 |
| 11 | Indiana | 7-0 | Big Ten | 0-0 | 1-0 | 1-0 | 5-0 |
| 12 | Tennessee | 7-1 | SEC | 1-1 | 0-0 | 4-0 | 2-0 |
| 13 | BYU | 6-1 | Big 12 | 1-1 | 3-0 | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 14 | Alabama | 5-2 | SEC | 2-2 | 0-0 | 1-0 | 2-0 |
| 15 | Kentucky | 5-2 | SEC | 0-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 5-0 |
| 16 | Iowa | 7-0 | Big Ten | 0-0 | 1-0 | 2-0 | 4-0 |
| 17 | Kansas | 6-2 | Big 12 | 1-2 | 2-0 | 0-0 | 3-0 |
| 18 | Houston | 7-1 | Big 12 | 1-1 | 2-0 | 2-0 | 2-0 |
| 19 | LSU | 7-0 | SEC | 0-0 | 0-0 | 3-0 | 4-0 |
| 20 | USC | 7-0 | Big Ten | 1-0 | 2-0 | 2-0 | 2-0 |
| 21 | Butler | 6-1 | Big East | 1-1 | 1-0 | 0-0 | 4-0 |
| 22 | Utah State | 6-0 | Mountain West | 0-0 | 2-0 | 0-0 | 4-0 |
| 23 | St. John’s (NY) | 4-3 | Big East | 0-3 | 2-0 | 1-0 | 1-0 |
| 24 | Illinois | 6-2 | Big Ten | 0-2 | 1-0 | 1-0 | 4-0 |
| 25 | Yale | 7-1 | Ivy League | 1-0 | 0-1 | 5-0 | 1-0 |
SEC teams in the NET Rankings
The first few runs of the NET are always wonky as the sample size expands. Currently, only five SEC teams are in the top 25. Contrast that with the AP Poll, which includes seven SEC teams. Florida, the reigning national champion, is No. 33. John Calipari’s Arkansas Razorbacks are No. 45.
- 4. Vanderbilt
- 12. Tennessee
- 14. Alabama
- 15. Kentucky
- 19. LSU
- 30. Auburn
- 33. Florida
- 36. Georgia
- 45. Arkansas
- 51. Missouri
- 68. Texas
- 79. Texas A&M
- 94. Oklahoma
- 96. Ole Miss
- 99. South Carolina
- 172. Mississippi State
15 Quad 1 games for Kentucky (so far)
Again, it will take a month or so for the NET to stabilize. However, as of today, Kentucky has 15 Quad 1 games on its schedule. The Cats are currently 0-2 in said games. They’ll have four more Quad 1 opportunities this week, along with a pair of Quad 4 games vs. NC Central and Bellarmine.
Here’s a quick look at Kentucky’s team sheet:
- Quad 1: 0-2 (13 games remaining)
- Quad 2: 0-0 (6 games remaining)
- Quad 3: 0-0 (2 games remaining)
- Quad 4: 5-0 (3 games remaining)
Quad 1: 0-2
Quad 1: Home: 1-30 | Neutral: 1-50 | Away: 1-75
| NET Rank | Date | Opponent | Result |
| 4 | 01/27/2026 | @ Vanderbilt | |
| 4 | 02/28/2026 | Vanderbilt | |
| 5 | 12/05/2025 | Gonzaga (Nashville) | |
| 9 | 11/11/2025 | @ Louisville | L 88-96 |
| 10 | 11/18/2025 | Michigan State (Champions Classic, NYC) | L 66-83 |
| 11 | 12/13/2025 | Indiana | |
| 12 | 01/17/2026 | @ Tennessee | |
| 12 | 02/07/2026 | Tennessee | |
| 14 | 01/03/2026 | @ Alabama | |
| 19 | 01/14/2026 | @ LSU | |
| 23 | 12/20/2025 | St. John’s (CBS Sports Classic, Atlanta) | |
| 26 | 12/02/2025 | North Carolina | |
| 30 | 02/21/2026 | @ Auburn | |
| 33 | 02/14/2026 | @ Florida | |
| 45 | 01/31/2026 | @ Arkansas |
Quad 2: 0-0
Home: 31-75 | Neutral: 51-100 | Away: 76-135
| NET Rank | Date | Opponent | Result |
| 33 | 03/07/2026 | Florida | |
| 36 | 02/17/2026 | Georgia | |
| 51 | 01/07/2026 | Missouri | |
| 68 | 01/21/2026 | Texas | |
| 79 | 03/03/2026 | @ Texas A&M |
Quad 3: 0-0
Home: 76-160 | Neutral: 101-200 | Away: 136-240
| NET Rank | Date | Opponent | Result |
| 94 | 02/04/2026 | Oklahoma | |
| 96 | 01/24/2026 | Ole Miss |
Quad 4: 5-0
Home: 161-362 | Neutral: 201-362 | Away: 241-362
| NET Rank | Date | Opponent | Result |
| 172 | 01/10/2026 | Mississippi St. | |
| 228 | 11/07/2025 | Valparaiso | W 107-59 |
| 269 | 11/26/2025 | Tennessee Tech | W 104-54 |
| 270 | 12/23/2025 | Bellarmine | |
| 284 | 11/04/2025 | Nicholls | W 77-51 |
| 313 | 11/21/2025 | Loyola Maryland | W 88-46 |
| 325 | 11/14/2025 | Eastern Ill. | W 99-53 |
| 342 | 12/09/2025 | N.C. Central |
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