Kentucky tumbles in NET, KenPom Rankings following Ohio State loss

We’ll find out how far Kentucky falls in the AP and Coaches Poll around lunchtime. Hopefully, the voters are kinder than the computers.

The Cats took quite a tumble in the NET and KenPom Rankings after the 20-point loss to Ohio State. Kentucky is now No. 19 in the NET, a ten-spot drop from before the game vs. the Buckeyes. Speaking of, Ohio State is up ten spots to No. 22. That keeps the loss firmly in Quad 1, along with the loss to Clemson (No. 39). If the Buckeyes fall below No. 50 in the NET, it will move to Quad 2.

The good news? Kentucky has plenty of chances to make up for the loss. The Cats are 2-2 in Quad 1, with 14 opportunities remaining, starting with the game vs. Florida on Jan. 4. The Gators, who are 12-0, are No. 4 in the NET.

Quad 1: 2-2

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

NET Ranking	Date	Opponent	Result
1	03/01/2025	Auburn
2	01/28/2025	at Tennessee
2	02/11/2025	Tennessee
3	11/12/2024	Duke (Champions Classic)	W 77-72
4	01/04/2025	Florida
5	12/07/2024	Gonzaga (Seattle, WA)	W 90-89 (1 OT)
10	02/22/2025	at Alabama
10	01/18/2025	Alabama
13	01/11/2025	at Mississippi St.
22	12/21/2024	Ohio St. (CBS Sports Classic)	L 65-85
26	01/07/2025	at Georgia
27	01/14/2025	Texas A&M
31	02/04/2025	at Ole Miss
35	02/15/2025	at Texas
38	01/25/2025	at Vanderbilt
39	12/03/2024	at Clemson	L 66-70
42	02/26/2025	at Oklahoma
45	03/08/2025	at Missouri

How strong is the SEC? Only one of Kentucky’s conference games is outside Quads 1 and 2, the home game vs. South Carolina (NET No. 84) on Feb. 8, which is in Quad 3.

Over at KenPom, Kentucky fell 15 spots to No. 26. KenPom is still high on the Cats’ offense, which ranks No. 10 in adjusted efficiency; however, the system forecasts a rough SEC slate. Kentucky’s projected record in KenPom is now 20-11, which means nine to ten more losses, including three straight to start SEC play (the projected record is based on cumulative probabilities of winning each game and may not equal the sum of individual game predictions):

• Florida (home)
• Georgia (away)
• Mississippi State (away)
• Tennessee (away)
• Ole Miss (away)
• Tennessee (home)
• Texas (away)
• Alabama (away)
• Oklahoma (away)
• Auburn (home)

Kentucky in other National Rankings

A week ago, Kentucky was a consensus top-five team in the national rankings. Now? More like top 15. As mentioned, we’ll find out what AP and Coaches Poll voters think of the Cats around lunch. Here is where the Cats stand in the other national rankings:

• Jeff Goodman: No. 7
• CBS Sports’ Kyle Boone: No. 8
• The Athletic: No. 9
• CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish: No. 9
• John Fanta: No. 9
• Jamie Shaw: No. 10
• Andy Katz: No. 14

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