Kentucky was one of three SEC teams that made his list.
The warming weather signals that we’re entering peak preseason rankings season. ESPN’s Dick Vitale has joined the action by releasing his latest update.
The legendary broadcaster provided brief notes on each team he placed in his “dazzling dozen” rankings.
To cut to the chase, the Kentucky Wildcats checked in at #11 on Vitale’s list. It was noted that Otega Oweh and Brandon Garrison are aiming to lead the slew of transfers that include Jaland Lowe, Jayden Quaintance, and Mouhamed Dioubate.
At #11, The Cats were the lowest-ranked team representing the SEC. The defending national champion Florida Gators were placed at #3, while John Calipari’s Arkansas Razorbacks were #8. I’m not sure I agree with that assessment, but Dickie V is the man, so we’ll give him a pass.
With pretty much every Power Five team in America rebuilding from year to year, it’s becoming difficult to project exactly how each squad will gel in just a short window to make it all work.
Led by longtime head coach Matt Painter and star guard Braden Smith, the Purdue Boilermakers took the top spot. They’ll return five of their top six scorers from a Sweet 16 team. Circle Friday, October 24th, on your calendars – that’s when Purdue travels to Lexington for what will be a blockbuster exhibition game. High-level hoops before Halloween will be a big treat.
As far as rankings go, anyone knowledgeable about college basketball knows that Kentucky acquired the necessary pieces to make a deep run in March. It’ll be another year of grinding out the challenges of playing in the SEC. The Cats are also playing an exceptional non-conference schedule, so fans will have no shortage of opportunities to evaluate their team.
Is it October yet?