Looked up some updated rankings for the heck of it:
ESPN #17
SI #23
Busting Brackets (??) #19
15-17 seems about right in my opinion.
ESPN #17
SI #23
Busting Brackets (??) #19
15-17 seems about right in my opinion.
Updated rankings from ESPN and SI
- Thread starter Jamal Mercerr
- Start date
agreed.
getting moreno back made a 20-25 ranked team
adding milan i'd say we are 15-25 ranked team
if guys develop and take off, i can see us as a 10-15 team but that would require moreno and wilkens taking big steps, zoom and williams improving, and getting something consistent out of the PF slot.
getting moreno back made a 20-25 ranked team
adding milan i'd say we are 15-25 ranked team
if guys develop and take off, i can see us as a 10-15 team but that would require moreno and wilkens taking big steps, zoom and williams improving, and getting something consistent out of the PF slot.
I would say 12-14 but at least we have enough to have hope for a run.
Evan Miya has us 13th analytically and I’m right there with him. 12-15 preseason with a top 5 ceiling if it all comes together.
I think around 15th.
I think with Mom it gets u a sweet 16. Now can u do better? We shall see.
Hard to say when I don't know what everybody else looks like but my guess is ~15. I think Wilkins is undervalued by a lot of people, but it is yet to be seen how big a jump Moreno can take, if Diallo can adapt to being more of a facilitator and less an iso scorer, and what our defense and rebounding look like.
I think it just depends on how all the pieces fit. On paper though that looks about right. I like the construction of this roster a lot though.
This is more of a hesitation due to Pope than the lineup. He has yet to really prove he can be a top quality head coach. He was on the right path with beating so many top 10 teams in his first year, but last year put positive opinions into a world of skepticism. With this lineup he now has to prove he can coach and win at the level the "assignment" expects.
I expect our stock to rise as people start considering the complementary fit of the roster pieces. I still expect to win up ~AP #11 preseason
On paper, the only rosters I would say look better than UK's are: Florida, Illinois, Tennessee, Michigan, Texas and Duke(only due to depth). Uconn is reliant on major jumps from a lot of guys that showed nothing, St Johns has no depth, Michigan St looks like a team that will struggle to score, AZ has iffy guards, USC's bench is really young, Arky has no bigs, uOFl has not shooting, UVA should be ranked in the 20s, and Bama is hoping their drug dealing PG is cleared. UK, Gonzaga, Vandy and Mizzou all seem underrated
I think this is a top 10 roster personally. With Mom's shooting this team can be really good.
I'd rather start off at the 15-20 range and be happily surprised than starting off top 10 and the season be over by Thanksgiving like last year.
I’ll be honest, now with many teams spending huge money these teams all look great on paper. Differentiating between Saint Johns, Louisville, Tennessee, Texas, UK, etc is next to impossible imo. They all bought really good players and have some questions that no one knows the answers to yet.
It's all about match-ups. The Kentucky roster is a terrific fit for Mark Pope's system and will present lots of challenges for defenses. How well the team defends and rebounds is a valid question, but some really strong rotation players to factor into that including N'Diaye, Kepnang, McBride. Critically, these are all veteran players, most of whom have played at the highest level of the sport; not incoming freshmen.
Among early match-ups, I'd take Kentucky's roster over those of Kansas, UNC, and Indiana and very close to Louisville. None of those games look out of reach, and winning all of them would not be impossible. 3-1 in those games would be very encouraging.
Among early match-ups, I'd take Kentucky's roster over those of Kansas, UNC, and Indiana and very close to Louisville. None of those games look out of reach, and winning all of them would not be impossible. 3-1 in those games would be very encouraging.
Our first game will likely be against Kansas. I think we would be ranked around the same place as them. Maybe they are lower. I like our roster better than theirs, even though they have Kinney and Stokes.
I think 14-18 is what we can anticipate based on the things we know. But I think the unknowns could make us much scarier. Analysts have no idea what to expect from Hawthorne. He was a 4 star out of High School, number 33 nationally.
He's committed enough to Pope's vision to redshirt last year and still return this year. He would have played at most other schools last year. We all saw the reports of how good he was in practice last year. But I'm convinced Pope was right to redshirt him. SEC competition would have broken him. He was just too skinny.
If he has developed like he should, he'll be basically a 5 star. I'm anxious to see what he can do. I suspect he raises our ceiling.
He's committed enough to Pope's vision to redshirt last year and still return this year. He would have played at most other schools last year. We all saw the reports of how good he was in practice last year. But I'm convinced Pope was right to redshirt him. SEC competition would have broken him. He was just too skinny.
If he has developed like he should, he'll be basically a 5 star. I'm anxious to see what he can do. I suspect he raises our ceiling.
After the Jelly experience, feels like N’Diaye is a huge X factor. At 6-11, if he steps on campus and is able to knock down shots, be a factor on D and boards better than jelly….he could be a huge piece by March.
Same with Hawthorne. I love that he didn’t jump ship, is here to prove himself, and seems like a gym rat. There could be times you have N’Diaye, Milo and Kam on court and throw in Wilkins who I think will be a really good 3 pt shooter….
This season could be the best of Pope’s 3 years.
Well, kind of has to be to keep a job.
Same with Hawthorne. I love that he didn’t jump ship, is here to prove himself, and seems like a gym rat. There could be times you have N’Diaye, Milo and Kam on court and throw in Wilkins who I think will be a really good 3 pt shooter….
This season could be the best of Pope’s 3 years.
Well, kind of has to be to keep a job.
17. Kentucky Wildcats
Previous ranking: Unranked
Momcilovic's commitment dramatically changes the Wildcats' 2026-27 outlook, giving them the best shooter in the country and a legitimate focal point on offense. Transfer guards Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins are both dynamic off the dribble, and Momcilovic's gravity and spacing will make them far more effective. Malachi Moreno's decision to withdraw from the NBA draft was another massive boost for Pope; Moreno is a potential first-round pick at this time next season. International prospect Ousmane N'Diaye and returnee Kam Williams should battle for a starting spot. The offensive potential of this group is as high as any team in the country.
Projected starting lineup
Zoom Diallo (15.7 PPG at Washington)
Alex Wilkins (17.8 PPG at Furman)
Milan Momcilovic (16.9 PPG at Iowa State)
Ousmane N'Diaye (9.8 PPG for Cremona in Serie A)
Malachi Moreno (7.8 PPG)
One thing that I hope happens is this team really gels chemistry wise and bring a " We Are UK " mindset!!
Don't talk it, show it!!!
These posts are why we need a clown or troll emoji option below.
I'm think anywhere 15-20 is about right. I think with Milan and assuming we stay healthy we're a solid 4-5 seed with a chance in the second weekend.
Noledynasty2490
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It's interesting that Miyakawa thinks we're around 13, that's what I thought. But in the end, preseason polls mean nothing. We will be able to play into the top ten from the get go.
It's all about executing and performing now. To the best of our ability.
We shall see...
It's all about executing and performing now. To the best of our ability.
We shall see...
I don’t think the majority of the media feel Pope can’t coach. It’s really the opposite. They had questions about his recruiting, but never question is x and o’s. Pope can coach. And with this roster of players stay healthy, I think you will see him at his full potential. He’s be hamstrung the last two seasons with injuries.
There was nothing at all wrong with the post you replied to. You come in under the guise of positivity but you ruin so many threads when you enter them looking for fights.
There was nothing wrong with my post either unless you have a problem with positivity towards the program or FACTS. Pope got a third year, sorry to break your heart, he has been butchered the entire recruiting cycle, but in the end, he put together a top 15 roster that will have a chance to win a Championship. For recruiting season, that is the "assignment". If he makes the S16 or E8, that is the equivalent of Cals entire tenure here. Of course, year one for Pope, which was S16, despite starting fron scratch and enduring injuries, was deemed a failure by some. Thats the crap that draws clarity to the "assignment" posts the day after we sign the top player in the portal.
Keep up the negative comments. He smacked you on the head yesterday and will smack it again all season long
Expectations are way too low imo. This is a top 2 seed and should be in the thick of it in March. I expect we win the SEC, or the sect or make a final four. If pope is a legit coach out of 3 solid rosters he would get 1 to the final four. our fear should be a sweet sixteen or elite 8. Because that means extension for a middle of the road coach. None of this lose 10 games and be happy with a 4/5 seed and a sweet sixteen. What an awful scenario. We need to crap the bed or win big