LEXINGTON — Kentucky basketball is breathing a little easier now.
After an 0-2 start in SEC play, UK was squarely on the NCAA Tournament bubble. But thanks to four straight wins (Mississippi State, LSU, Tennessee and Texas), coach Mark Pope and the Wildcats are rising in March Madness projections.
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As of Jan. 22, Kentucky is 13-6 overall and 4-2 in conference competition.
Through Jan. 20, UK”s NET ranking was 29.
On Jan. 21, Bracket Matrix projected the Wildcats‘ average seed as 8.29, appearing in 83 of the 84 brackets compiled by the site.
As of Jan. 20, Bracketologists.com, which projects its bracket on NET rankings alone, had the Wildcats as an 8-seed, facing 9-seed Ohio State in the first round. Bracketville, which updated its bracket Jan. 20, put the Wildcats as the 7-seed in the Midwest Region; in this projection, UK would face 10-seed Seton Hall in the first round in St. Louis.
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Here’s a look at Kentucky’s NCAA Tournament résumé as of Jan. 22, as well as projections from a variety of national outlets:
Kentucky basketball’s resume, NET ranking
NET ranking: 29
KenPom ranking: 24
Quad 1 record: 3-5
Quad 2 record: 1-1
Quad 3 record: 1-0
Quad 4 record: 7-0
Where ESPN projects Kentucky basketball in NCAA Tournament
ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi released his latest update Jan. 20. He listed Kentucky as the No. 8 seed in the South Region, traveling to Philadelphia to face No. 9 Miami in the first round.
CBS Sports Kentucky basketball bracketology for NCAA Tournament
CBS Sports unveiled its newest bracket Jan. 21. The site predicts UK will be the 7-seed in the West Region, squaring off with 10-seed Stanford in the first round.
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The Athletic bracketology for UK basketball
Joe Rexrode, a senior writer for The Athletic, published a bracket projection for the site Jan. 20. Rexrode listed the Wildcats as the No. 7 seed in the South Region. He has Kentucky traveling to Oklahoma City in the first round, tangling with No. 10 seed Seton Hall.
Kentucky basketball bracketology from NCAA.com
Andy Katz, a college basketball analyst for NCAA.com, released his bracket Jan. 20. He placed UK as the 9-seed in the East Region, where it would wrestle with 8-seed Wisconsin in Round 1.
Where The Washington Post projects Kentucky Wildcats in NCAA Tournament
In a bracketology piece for The Washington Post that went live Jan. 21, Patrick Stevens predicted UK will be the 8-seed in the Midwest Region. In Stevens’ analysis, Kentucky is bound for Buffalo, New York, where it will square off with 9-seed Seton Hall.
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What’s next for Kentucky basketball
Kentucky’s last game was an 85-80 win over Texas on Jan. 21 at Rupp Arena. UK remains at home for its next game, hosting Ole Miss at noon Jan. 24.
Then UK has a pair of road contests next week to conclude January.
It faces Vanderbilt in Nashville on Jan. 27, then heads to “The Natural State” to take on former coach John Calipari in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on Jan. 31.
The NET rankings, as of Jan. 21, make the Ole Miss matchup a Quad 3 game for Kentucky, while the Vandy and Arkansas showdowns are both Quad 1 opportunities.
Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Where Kentucky basketball ranks in latest March Madness bracketology
