Victories at Tennessee and Georgia put Kentucky on my top 25 ballot for the first time all season this week.
It was not only the victories, but also the WAY Kentucky played in winning two SEC road games that got them on the ballot. UK had been playing better and better. Improved point guard play. Better shot selection (of course, any shot by Jodie Meeks and Patrick Patterson qualify as good shots). Better transition defense. A continuation of solid half-court defense.
All of that put Kentucky at No. 21 on my ballot for The Associated Press top 25 this week.
Alas, Kentucky did not receive enough votes to make the AP poll this week. UK received 25 votes from the 72-member panel. The Cats were voted as high as No. 17, but did not get enough votes to crack the top 25. Still, it was a big boost to go from no votes one week to 25 the next.
UK fans will recall that the Cats failed to reach the pre-season top 25 in the wire service poll for the first time since 1990.
Last week also marked historic futility for the SEC with no league team making USA Today’s coaches’ top 25. That hadn’t happened since USA Today began running the coaches’ poll in the 1991-92 season.
Tennessee fell out of the media poll. But Florida placed at No. 24. That kept alive a streak of at least one SEC team being in The Associated Press poll since March of 1989.
I also placed Florida on my ballot. The Gators, like Kentucky off to a 3-0 SEC start, were at No. 24.
Kentucky’s not No. 21 with a bullet. The chances for advancement aren’t the greatest given the weak SEC. The Cats’ remaining schedule includes no teams with a top 25 RPI. The best RPIs belong to Florida at No. 27 and Tennessee at No. 28.
By the way, Kentucky’s RPI as of Monday was No. 56. That fit the Cats between Boise State at No. 55 and Evansville at No. 57.
Louisville’s victory over then No. 1 Pittsburgh last weekend moved the Cards from 16 to 13 on my ballot. It also shook up my top four. Pittsburgh fell from No.1 to No. 3. Wake Forest assumed the top spot.
Here’s this week’s ballot:
1. Wake Forest
2. Duke
3. Pittsburgh
4. North Carolina
5. Connecticut
6. Oklahoma
7. Michigan State
8. Texas
9. Georgetown
10. Xavier
11. Syracuse
12. Clemson
13. Louisville
14. Butler
15. Marquette
16. Villanova
17. Arizona State
18. Minnesota
19. UCLA
20. Notre Dame
21. Kentucky
22. Memphis
23. Illinois
24. Florida
25. Purdue
4 comments ↓
[...] Jerry Tipton submits his AP Ballot. Will UK be on it? Read his blog and [...]
Why aren’t Boise State and Evansville ranked?
Thank you for your vote. I appreciate it and I believe Kentucky deserves it from other people as well.
Is there any possibility that Billy G’s team will get complacent with their initial success in conference play? If I were coach I would constantly show the team articles on how they’re just a “two-man show in a down SEC.” Maybe that light a fire under Miller and Stevenson. I also think that, if UK ran the table, they still would be downplayed. Only tournament wins will help the SEC now
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