Kentucky basketball wasn’t expected to be a top ten team this season by most. However, new coach Mark Pope has them out to a 7 – 0 start to the season, with a win over the Duke Blue Devils.
After wins over Western KY and Georgia State, they are now the sixth ranked team in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll. That’s up two spots from eighth in last week’s coaches poll.
Related: Wildcats preparing for a December gauntlet
The Wildcats are the third highest ranked SEC team this week, behind the Auburn Tigers at number two, and the Tennessee Volunteers at number three. The Florida Gators and Ole Miss Rebels also made jumps this week.
The Alabama Crimson Tide fell three spots, while Texas A&M took a four spot drop. Arkansas fell out of the top 25 after losing to Illinois.
Overall, the SEC still has eight teams in the top 25 of the coaches poll. As for Kentucky, they are about to face a tough December schedule that starts with Clemson on Tuesday, followed by Gonzaga. If they win those two games, they’re certain to be even higher in the rankings next week.
Here is the full USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll:
| Rank | Team | Record | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kansas | 7-0 | 760 (19) |
| 2 | Auburn | 7-0 | 755 (12) |
| 3 | Tennessee | 7-0 | 694 |
| 4 | Marquette | 8-0 | 646 |
| 5 | Iowa State | 5-1 | 629 |
| 6 | Kentucky | 7-0 | 628 |
| 7 | Purdue | 7-1 | 535 |
| 8 | Gonzaga | 7-1 | 517 |
| 9 | Duke | 5-2 | 472 |
| 10 | Oregon | 8-0 | 457 |
| 11 | Wisconsin | 8-0 | 450 |
| 12 | Alabama | 6-2 | 441 |
| 13 | Florida | 8-0 | 427 |
| 14 | Cincinnati | 6-0 | 376 |
| 15 | Memphis | 6-1 | 265 |
| 16 | Baylor | 5-2 | 262 |
| 17 | Illinois | 6-1 | 234 |
| 18 | Houston | 4-3 | 221 |
| 19 | Pittsburgh | 7-1 | 213 |
| 20 | Ole Miss | 6-1 | 139 |
| 21 | Oklahoma | 7-0 | 111 |
| 22 | North Carolina | 4-3 | 96 |
| 23 | Michigan | 6-1 | 90 |
| 24 | Texas A&M | 6-2 | 86 |
| 25 | Michigan State | 6-2 | 73 |