Kentucky basketball suffered a second consecutive loss on Saturday, losing an ugly affair to the Vanderbilt Commodores on the road. They looked bad in the first half especially, and had to play catch-up, and weren’t able to pull it off.
The Wildcats are now 14-5 on the season, and an even 3-3 in the SEC. Where did the loss put them in the updated KenPom rankings?
Previously, Kentucky was 19th overall, but dropped to 22nd after Saturday’s defeat with a +23.02 adjusted efficiency margin. That’s seventh among teams from the SEC.
Related: Common themes in Kentucky losses this year
Offensively, the Cats still rank very well. Their 124.3 adjusted offensive efficiency comes in as the fifth best in the country.
On defense, however, they come in much lower. With a 101.3 adjusted defensive efficiency rating, Kentucky ranks 82nd overall.
Mark Pope and the Wildcats have played better than many people thought they would before the season. The offense is one of the country’s best when they’re on their game. If they can iron out the slow starts, and inconsistencies, they will keep winning and rise in the KenPom rankings.