Kentucky was ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll for the 2024-25 season

College Basketball season is almost here, and that means it’s time for preseason rankings. Kentucky fans got their first taste of this year’s team and now know where the Wildcats will start the season in the top 25. On Monday, the Associated Press released its preseason top 25 list, and Kentucky is ranked 23rd in the nation.

This is where the Wildcats will be at the start of the season and there will be plenty of room to climb throughout the season. When it comes to conference opponents, there are a few teams that will start the season early. Alabama is ranked second in the nation, followed by Auburn (No. 11), Tennessee (No. 12), Texas A&M (No. 13), Arkansas (No. 16) and Florida (No. 21), with Ole Miss the Wildcats in 24th place. place in the country. The conference will be as loaded this season as it has been in a long time.

In addition to the Wildcats’ tough conference schedule, there will also be some intriguing non-conference matchups. The first major test of the season will be against Duke in the Champions Classic on November 12. They will then hit the road at Clemson on December 3, where they will face the Tigers in the ACC/SEC Challenge. any easier, as they will face Gonzaga (December 7), who will start the season in 6th place, just outside the top five. The Wildcats will also face former Wildcat Aaron Bradshaw and Ohio State on the CBS Sports Classic on December 21.

Kentucky’s schedule will be tough this season, but you have to figure that experience will help, especially during early season testing. The Mark Pope era will officially begin soon.