Rob Dauster and The Field of 68 have Kentucky ranked No. 7 in their College Basketball Preseason Top 25, giving the Wildcats an A- offseason grade heading into Mark Pope’s second season in Lexington.
Pope, who energized the program last year by leading Kentucky to its first Sweet 16 since 2019, now has a roster deep enough to compete with anyone. Dauster projects Kentucky’s starting five to open the season as:
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G Otega Oweh (16.2 ppg, returning leader)
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G Jaland Lowe (16.8 ppg at Pitt)
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G Denzel Aberdeen (spark off the bench for champion Florida)
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F Mouhamed Dioubate (physical Alabama transfer)
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C Brandon Garrison (steady returner in the middle)
Beyond that, Kentucky’s depth jumps out. Guards Collin Chandler and Trent Noah bring valuable experience, while Tulane transfer Kam Williams (41% from 3) adds shooting. Highly touted freshman Jasper Johnson provides upside on the wing, and Arizona State transfer Jayden Quaintance bolsters the frontcourt with athleticism and rim protection.
Dauster noted that Kentucky’s perimeter group may be the deepest in the country, and the program boasts one of the nation’s largest NIL payrolls. That combination, he says, gives Pope’s team a real chance to compete for the SEC title and another run deep into March.
One surprise in the poll: Louisville is ranked No. 6, just ahead of Kentucky. Despite Kentucky winning the game last season and Sweet 16 run, the Cardinals haven’t won an NCAA Tournament game in years, and new coach Pat Kelsey has yet to win one in his career.
Here’s The Field of 68’s full preseason Top 25:
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To see why The Field of 68 selected each team for their preseason Top 25, check out the full breakdown here: Field of 68 Preseason Top 25
