Kentucky receives no votes in week 15 AP Top 25
Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari reacts to the Kentucky vs. Georgia mens basketball game on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023, at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Georgia. UK lost 68-75. Photo by Isabel McSwain | Staff
February 14, 2023
Kentucky mens basketball received zero votes in the week 15 AP Poll on Monday.
Having received only one vote in the week 14 poll and suffered two crucial conference losses to Arkansas and Georgia in the week since, it’s little surprise the Wildcats completely fell off the radar.
Kentucky was defeated by the Razorbacks 88-73 inside Rupp Arena and again in Athens, Georgia, against the Bulldogs 75-68.
Arkansas’ win over Kentucky marked the third home loss of the season for the Wildcats, bringing their overall home record to 12-3.
Despite the Wildcats’ shaky season, the sturdy home record is a testament to the environment and performance-level expected inside Rupp Arena, further emphasizing the weight of the loss to the Razorbacks.
Following the back-to-back losses, Kentucky now sits at a 16-9 overall record with a 7-5 conference record.
While the Cats themselves may not have been impacted much by the latest AP Poll, there were many notable shifts in the rankings of week 15.
Following Northwestern’s shocking win over previously No. 1 Purdue, SEC frontrunner Alabama emerged as the new No. 1 team in college basketball with an overall record of 22-3 and a 12-0 record in conference play.
The Houston Cougars remained steady at No. 2, with the Purdue Boilermakers dropping two spots down to No. 3
UCLA jumped up three spots to take the No. 4 spot in the country, while the Kansas Jayhawks filled out the remainder of the top five after Texas fell to No. 6.
Though there were many changes in the week 15 poll, the Big 12 and Big East’s dominance amongst the top 25 rankings remained.
The two conferences recorded a combined 11 ranked teams within the top 25, with Kansas and Marquette being the highest ranked representative of each conference.
Looking more specifically at changes, the new week’s poll saw Baylor climb five spots from No. 14 to No. 9 after its 72-68 win over No. 22 TCU on the road.
Indiana and Miami also both moved up four spots each, with the Hoosiers sitting at No. 14 after back-to-back wins over Rutgers and Michigan and the Hurricanes following behind at No. 15 after wins over Duke and Louisville.
Creighton also moved up five spots from No. 23 to No. 18 in week 15 after a win over Seton Hall, despite losing to UConn in the same week.
Despite those big changes, no team moved more than Iowa State in the week 15 poll, with the Cyclones plummeting eight spots from No. 11 last week to No. 19 after suffering back-to-back losses to West Virginia and Oklahoma State.
With only six games left in the regular season and NCAA Tournament hopes dwindling for the Wildcats, there is no time like the present.
Kentucky will need a miraculous streak of play and stroke of luck to make their push into the postseason, with a gauntlet of resume building quadrant-1 teams that could truly make or break the season for the Wildcats.
Kentucky will begin its week on Wednesday, Feb. 15, facing off against Mississippi State in Starkville. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. EST and will air live on ESPN.
The Wildcats will then round out their week against No. 10 Tennessee on Saturday, Feb. 18 in Lexington, Kentucky, at 1 p.m. EST inside Rupp Arena.
A full list of AP Top 25 can be viewed below:
- Alabama Crimson Tide (22-3)
- Houston Cougars (23-2)
- Purdue Boilermakers (23-3)
- UCLA Bruins (21-4)
- Kansas Jayhawks (20-5)
- Texas Longhorns (20-5)
- Virginia Cavaliers (19-4)
- Arizona Wildcats (22-4)
- Baylor Bears (19-6)
- Tennessee Volunteers (19-6)
- Marquette Golden Eagles (20-6)
- Kansas State Wildcats (19-6)
- Gonzaga Bulldogs (21-5)
- Indiana Hoosiers (18-7)
- Miami Hurricanes (20-5)
- Xavier Musketeers (19-6)
- Saint Mary’s Gaels (22-5)
- Creighton Blue Jays (17-8)
- Iowa State Cyclones (16-8)
- UConn Huskies (19-7)
- San Diego State Aztecs (20-5)
- TCU Horned Frogs (17-8)
- NC State Wolfpack (20-6)
- Providence Friars (18-7)
- FAU Owls (24-2)
Others receiving votes:
Missouri (114), Northwestern (96), Illinois (84), Pittsburgh (82), Nevada (36), Oklahoma State (23), Texas A&M (16), Oral Roberts (9), Arkansas (4), Rutgers (2), Boise State (1), Charleston (1), Maryland (1)
