Kentucky up to No. 44 in NET Rankings; Updated Team Sheet

How big was Kentucky’s win over Louisville for its tournament resume? The Cats are now No. 44 in the NET rankings, a 30-spot jump from a week ago. Louisville, previously No. 7, is down to No. 14.

The NCAA’s computer system still loves San Diego State, who remains No. 1 with a 12-0 record. Kansas took over the No. 2 spot from Ohio State, who lost to West Virginia yesterday. The Buckeyes are No. 3, Butler No. 4, and Auburn No. 5. You can see the entire rankings here.

With the new rankings out, let’s take a look at Kentucky’s team sheet, which the Selection Committee starting using to pick and seed teams a few years back. Each team’s wins are sorted into four quadrants using their opponent’s NET rankings:

• Quadrant 1: Home 1-30; Neutral 1-50; Away 1-75
• Quadrant 2: Home 31-75; Neutral 51-100; Away 76-135
• Quadrant 3: Home 76-160; Neutral 101-200; Away 136-240
• Quadrant 4: Home 161-plus; Neutral 201-plus; Away 241-plus

Here’s Kentucky’s team sheet heading into conference play:

The NET rankings will continue to stabilize over time. Two weeks ago, Kentucky’s strength of schedule was ranked 280th in the country, but after games vs. Utah, Ohio State, and Louisville, it’s now up to No. 118. The Cats’ next chance for a Quadrant 1 win is January 7 at Georgia.