Kentucky drops out of the Top 30 in the NET Rankings

Kentucky came into the Gonzaga game in the top 20 of the NET Rankings. After the embarrassing 35-point loss, the Cats dropped to No. 39 in Saturday’s update. They’re back up to No. 31 today, just ahead of Indiana (No. 32), Saturday’s opponent in Rupp Arena. That makes that game a Quad 2 contest.

We’re only nine games in, but there’s no denying that Kentucky’s NCAA Tournament resume flat out stinks. The only wins Kentucky has are in Quad 4. The Cats are 0-4 in Quad 1 games. That’s on-paper proof of what we’ve seen on the court so far: Kentucky is very good at beating the bad teams and very bad against the good teams.

This week, Kentucky can add another Quad 4 win vs. NC Central (No. 346) and a Quad 2 win vs. Indiana (No. 32). If the Hoosiers rise just two spots in the NET, that game will bump back up to Quad 1. St. John’s is No. 21 in the NET. Since that game is at a neutral site, that game is safely in Quad 1.

Michigan is No. 1 in the NET, followed by Duke, Iowa State, Gonzaga, and Vanderbilt. The ‘Dores are now 9-0, with four Quad 1 wins. Mark Byington’s bunch is rolling. Vandy is one of five SEC teams in the top 30 of the NET: Vanderbilt (No. 5), Alabama (No. 11), Georgia (No. 15), Florida (No. 22), and Arkansas (No. 23). Ten of Kentucky’s 11 remaining Quad 1 games are against SEC opponents, starting with Alabama in Tuscaloosa on Jan. 3. So, there are plenty of opportunities to improve the resume, but that’s only if Kentucky fixes whatever is wrong, which is easier said than done.

Here is a quick look at Kentucky’s team sheet:

• Quad 1: 0-4 (11 games remaining)
• Quad 2: 0-0 (5 games remaining)
• Quad 3: 0-0 (4 games remaining)
• Quad 4: 5-0 (2 games remaining)

Quad 1: 0-4

Home: 1-30 | Neutral: 1-50 | Away: 1-75

NET Rank	Date	Opponent	Result
4	12/05/2025	Gonzaga (Nashville)	L 59-94
5	01/27/2026	at Vanderbilt
5	02/28/2026	Vanderbilt
10	11/18/2025	Michigan State (Champions Classic)	L 66-83
11	01/03/2026	at Alabama
12	11/11/2025	at Louisville	L 88-96
14	12/02/2025	North Carolina	L 64-67
16	02/17/2026	Georgia
21	12/20/2025	St. John’s (CBS Sports Classic)
22	02/14/2026	at Florida
22	03/07/2026	Florida
23	01/31/2026	at Arkansas
33	01/17/2026	at Tennessee
34	02/21/2026	at Auburn
39	01/14/2026	at LSU

Quad 2: 0-0

Home: 31-75 | Neutral: 51-100 | Away: 76-135

NET Rank	Date	Opponent	Result
32	12/13/2025	Indiana
33	02/07/2026	Tennessee
71	01/07/2026	Missouri
79	03/03/2026	at Texas A&M
103	02/24/2026	at South Carolina

Quad 3: 0-0

Home: 76-160 | Neutral: 101-200 | Away: 136-240

NET Rank	Date	Opponent	Result
78	02/04/2026	Oklahoma
86	01/21/2026	Texas
110	01/24/2026	Ole Miss
160	01/10/2026	Mississippi State

Quad 4: 5-0

Home: 161-362 | Neutral: 201-362 | Away: 241-362

NET Rank	Date	Opponent	Result
187	11/26/2025	Tennessee Tech	W 104-54
224	11/07/2025	Valparaiso	W 107-59
271	12/23/2025	Bellarmine
275	11/04/2025	Nicholls	W 77-51
325	11/21/2025	Loyola Maryland	W 88-46
329	11/14/2025	Eastern Ill.	W 99-53