Kentucky checks in at 26th in preseason Kenpom rankings

BookofMormon

All-Conference
Mar 27, 2026
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The computers don’t seem to respect us, unfortunately. Guess we’ll figure out where the media will see us in the SEC this coming week.

These preseason data ranks are moronic and mean absolutely zero.

Explain to me how Houston is 3? They lost 4 starters and replaced them with two transfers and 2 sophomore 4 stars that were on the bench last year with limited minutes and their center is out of Kent St and 6'8".
 

Catastic5

Senior
Sep 12, 2026
183
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These preseason data ranks are moronic and mean absolutely zero.

Explain to me how Houston is 3? They lost 4 starters and replaced them with two transfers and 2 sophomore 4 stars that were on the bench last year with limited minutes and their center is out of Kent St and 6'8".
Weren’t we in the top 10 last year’s preseason Kenpom? I vaguely remember.
 
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Friedas_Boss

Hall of Famer
Sep 17, 2003
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These preseason data ranks are moronic and mean absolutely zero.

Explain to me how Houston is 3? They lost 4 starters and replaced them with two transfers and 2 sophomore 4 stars that were on the bench last year with limited minutes and their center is out of Kent St and 6'8".

Looking at that list, I think coaches matter. Kelvin Sampson is a dog, one of the elite defensive coaches in the game. I don’t know how KenPom factors that in but I would imagine the rankings are more than just personnel rankings.

I think KenPom’s ranking doesn’t get dialed in until conference play begins anyway.
 
Feb 3, 2025
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If anything the success of the football team ticks me off even more about basketball. I’m constantly having my good day soured by the reminder that SEC basketball media day and the first exhibition game is this week.
I may be a "bad" fan but generally at this point I am done with FB and ready for BB. This year I don't want BB to even start.
 

BookofMormon

All-Conference
Mar 27, 2026
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Looking at that list, I think coaches matter. Kelvin Sampson is a dog, one of the elite defensive coaches in the game. I don’t know how KenPom factors that in but I would imagine the rankings are more than just personnel rankings.

I think KenPom’s ranking doesn’t get dialed in until conference play begins anyway.
If coaches mattered, Hurley wouldn't be 11.

I don't think KenPom registers coaching in this ranking, it's player driven. Somehow Kansas with a freshman centerpiece there is no data on, is 8.

If this were paper, I'd wipe my @SS with it it's so irrelvant.
 

dynastydreamuk

All-Conference
Nov 18, 2010
1,904
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I may be a "bad" fan but generally at this point I am done with FB and ready for BB. This year I don't want BB to even start.

Me too man,

I hate to say it but this year it is opposite, I dont want to say im not looking forward to basketball, but I just have no confidence in pope magically becoming a good defensive coach and us being a top ten team when he has never been that in his over a decade gead coaching career.

When we gave up on mark Mitchell all hope I had sunk.
 

BGCATFAN83

Redshirt
Jul 2, 2025
26
38
3
Maybe the electricity from Wills team transfer over to Mark and the guys. Basketball needs that juice back and let this stuff take flight. Saturday night looked amazing and that might not be the high points of the season. Happy to see Will rewarded so fast. Marks turn maybe...GoCats!!
 

mash_24

Heisman
Sep 26, 2011
9,490
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Ole Kenpom cooked up one helluva racket. His model is really only accurate at seasons end, when everybody else also can easily identify the best teams. Yet he still gets lots of nerds to click.
 

Dward13

All-Conference
Feb 5, 2008
10,362
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These preseason data ranks are moronic and mean absolutely zero.

Explain to me how Houston is 3? They lost 4 starters and replaced them with two transfers and 2 sophomore 4 stars that were on the bench last year with limited minutes and their center is out of Kent St and 6'8".

A lot of it has to be based on faith in coaching. Kenpom’s formula loves Kelvin Sampson. His last 6 teams have finished 5, 2, 2, 2, 2, and 4.

But then, like you said, theres Hurley at 11 which seems pretty low given his recent track record and roster makeup. Weird
 
Aug 23, 2024
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Me too man,

I hate to say it but this year it is opposite, I dont want to say im not looking forward to basketball, but I just have no confidence in pope magically becoming a good defensive coach and us being a top ten team when he has never been that in his over a decade gead coaching career.

When we gave up on mark Mitchell all hope I had sunk.
We finished #12 in 2025 with a high of #4 that year. We didn't really give up on Mitchell so much as S kankey blew it up.
 
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KYFOSSIL

Heisman
Jan 13, 2005
8,593
11,907
62
Me too man,

I hate to say it but this year it is opposite, I dont want to say im not looking forward to basketball, but I just have no confidence in pope magically becoming a good defensive coach and us being a top ten team when he has never been that in his over a decade gead coaching career.

When we gave up on mark Mitchell all hope I had sunk.
I don't believe we gave up on Mark Mitchell. I think he gave up on us a didn't he?
 

dynastydreamuk

All-Conference
Nov 18, 2010
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We finished #12 in 2025 with a high of #4 that year. We didn't really give up on Mitchell so much as S kankey blew it up.

I dont know where you are getting those numbers... but what I could find said we finished 28th over all in kenpom and 27th in defensive efficiency...which was far and away Popes best defensive team ever. 39th in offensive efficiency.

I say we gave up on Mitchell because I feel like we could have basically told him you are getting this bag of money regardless and I still find it hard to believe these players will actually not be eligible.

How is it some players in some states are good to go and some aren't... it's preposterous!! The reasoning behind aberdeen being eligible and allowed to transfer in conference is absurd if Mitchell is a No go. No way this can hold up in court but I guess the season is about to start.

I know i would keep fighting with a lawyer if I was Mitchell and these players with millions of dollars on the line
 
Aug 23, 2024
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#12 in the final AP poll with a high of #4 that season. Here is a link to the numbers.


S kankey ruled him ineligible at UK and it was right on top of the enrollment deadline. Mitchell chose to return to Missouri where he felt confident of his eligibility. There was not anything more UK could have really done about it.
 

UKBB4Ever

All-Conference
Jul 3, 2025
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Nerd numbers from a nerd. And fake nerd numbers to boot.

But what can you expect from a weatherman that never played?
 

KOF98

Senior
Apr 10, 2025
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Looking at that list, I think coaches matter. Kelvin Sampson is a dog, one of the elite defensive coaches in the game. I don’t know how KenPom factors that in but I would imagine the rankings are more than just personnel rankings.
He released his coaching model values in a post explaining the rankings.

For even more material for the content mills, shown below are the top 25 coaches based on how much the model expects them to overachieve the preseason ratings algorithm (based on past performance using the the current algorithm). These are applied to the current preseason ratings. These are NOT the best coaches according to the model. These are the coaches that are expected to add the most over what is already captured in the model (talent, recent program history, and conference strength, mainly).

The model is more confident about coaches with more seasons, so it’s particularly impressive that Tommy Lloyd and Jon Scheyer have already cracked this list. Surely this list will be used in the correct context when spread across the internets!
1791963797169.png
 
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KOF98

Senior
Apr 10, 2025
234
446
63
You should really not be looking at Kenpom for preseason rankings. His methodology is simply not good in this landscape. The one you want is Evan Miyakawa who models everything for all players. He has Kentucky at #18 preseason with a chance to move to #12 depending on how eligibility for the teams in front of them play out.
 
KSR

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