Kentucky rises to No. 2 in The Athletic's College Basketball Rankings

Preseason exhibitions are underway, and unlike years past, these can actually tell us some things since Division I teams are now allowed to scrimmage one another. After seeing Kentucky run No. 1 Purdue out of Rupp Arena on Friday, The Athletic’s CJ Moore moved the Cats up from No. 9 to No. 2 in his rankings. The Boilermakers, originally his top team, slid to No. 8, with Michigan taking the top spot after its win over St. John’s.

“Not sure you could watch Friday’s preseason loss at Kentucky and come away thinking the Boilermakers were the better team,” Moore wrote. “Overreaction? Possible. Two years ago, Purdue lost at Arkansas in the preseason and ended up one of the best two teams in the sport, while Arkansas watched the NCAA Tournament at home. But Purdue was trying to win Friday. Kentucky just looked better. And Purdue’s lack of athleticism compared to other top teams is noticeable.”

Everyone who watched that game would agree. In his team-by-team profiles, Moore said the key to Kentucky’s season is defense. The Cats held Purdue to 65 points and 38.6% shooting on Friday, so that’s a good start. He also wants to see how the offense operates under Jaland Lowe, once he returns from a shoulder injury. His player to watch? Many would go with Jasper Johnson, who led Kentucky in scoring vs. Purdue, but Moore went with another Kentucky kid, Malachi Moreno, who finished with eight points (4-5 FG) and four rebounds in 22 minutes vs. Purdue.

“Moreno, the No. 25 player in this freshman class, was better than expected in the Purdue win. He’s huge and moves really well for his size, with a good feel as a roller and finding pockets of space. His presence means there’s not a need to rush back Jayden Quaintance, who is getting a late start because of his ACL rehab.”

Houston, UConn, and Florida round out Moore’s top five. Rick Pitino’s St. John’s is No. 7 following the loss to Michigan. Louisville is No. 11, and Arkansas is No. 15. In all, nine of Kentucky’s opponents made Moore’s updated Top 25:

• No. 5 Florida – Feb. 14 (away), March 7 (home)
• No. 7 St. John’s – Dec. 20 (neutral)
• No. 11 Louisville – Nov. 11 (away)
• No. 15 Arkansas – Jan. 31 (away)
• No. 16 Gonzaga – Dec. 5 (neutral)
• No. 18 Alabama – Jan. 3 (away)
• No. 19 Tennessee – Jan. 17 (away), Feb. 7 (home)
• No. 20 North Carolina – Dec. 2 (home)
• No. 25 Missouri – Jan. 7 (home)

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