After starting the 2022-23 season with a 7-3 record, Kentucky headed to Missouri ranked No. 8 overall at KenPom for the SEC opener on Dec. 28. The Wildcats were clobbered by Dennis Gates‘ team giving up 89 points on 1.31 points per possession in a 14-point loss that didn’t feel that close.
Kentucky dropped out of the top-10 in KenPom’s college basketball efficiency ratings. The Wildcats didn’t re-enter the top-10 again until after last night’s win over top-five Gonzaga. Mark Pope‘s team has moved up to No. 10 overall with two neutral-site victories over a pair of top-five foes.
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The Wildcats are up to No. 9 in adjusted offensive efficiency and No. 17 in adjusted tempo. UK owns a great turnover rate (13.2%) and rank inside the top 100 in both two-point field goal percentage and three-point field goal percentage. Kentucky’s defense ranks No. 26 in adjusted defensive efficiency. UK ranks No. 6 in three-point field goal percentage defense (25.3%) and is in the top 50 in defensive rebound percentage (74.6%).
Kentucky passed the two biggest non-conference tests with wins over Duke and Gonzaga. Games against Ohio State (No. 28) and Louisville (No. 52) remain before league play begins. Kentucky’s road loss to Clemson came against a top-20 opponent. Brad Brownell‘s team is up to No. 16 overall at KenPom thanks to a 9-1 start and a top-five defense.
The schedule will quickly get tougher when SEC play begins. Auburn, Tennessee, Alabama, and Florida join Kentucky in the top 10 of Ken Pom’s rankings. Mississippi State (No. 12), Texas A&M (No. 26), Ole Miss (No. 27), Texas (No. 35), Georgia (No. 39), Oklahoma (No. 42), Arkansas (No. 45), and LSU (No. 48) are all in position to make a run at a at-large bid.
Pope’s first Kentucky team plays in the toughest conference in hoops but the Wildcats seem ready to compete for a league title. This squad has already exceeded preseason expectations after beginning the season at No. 43 overall. With two huge Quad 1 wins in their back pocket, the Cats are now in position to make a run at a No. 1 seed. The metrics back that up.