The 2024-25 season is set to be one of the most interesting years in Kentucky basketball history. New coach Mark Pope will have a completely new roster to work with after the late coaching change in the Spring.
The way the Wildcats are perceived in the college basketball world varies greatly. Many early rankings have them outside the top 25, while some think they could be better than expected.
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ESPN writer Jeff Borzello released his top 25 on Monday, and he did list Kentucky in it, ranked 23rd. They are one of the nine SEC teams he ranked.
The biggest question, according to Borzello, is “How long will it take Mark Pope to piece things together?”
While there are other teams in the rankings that underwent rebuilds, none were as significant as Kentucky’s. Zero players returned to Lexington from last season, and Pope is bringing only one with him from BYU. There are a lot of intriguing players — and ample experience — on the Wildcats’ roster, but it could take time for them to mesh.
Borzello also predicted the Wildcats starting lineup. He has Kerr Kriisa, Otega Oweh, Jaxson Robinson, Andrew Carr, and Amari Williams as the starting five.
The Kentucky basketball season is approaching, and nobody is sure exactly how it will go. Borzello seems to like what they have, if they can put things together quickly enough.