Kentucky’s climb into the AP Top 25 finally arrived this week.
After knocking off then-No. 9 Texas A&M on the road, the Wildcats had to wait one more poll to get their reward.
They sat at No. 27 last week, just outside the rankings. On Sunday, the AP Poll moved Kentucky into the field at No. 24, giving the Wildcats their first top 25 ranking of the season.
The group sitting just ahead of Kentucky includes UCLA, Boise State, SMU and Houston. Missouri rounds out the poll after falling to Mississippi State, a result that sent the Bulldogs soaring to No. 16.
The updated AP Poll also features a loaded SEC presence near the top. Texas remains No. 1, followed by Georgia.
Alabama checks in at No. 7, Florida at No.
8, Ole Miss at No. 9, LSU at No. 11 and Tennessee at No.
For Kentucky head coach Will Stein, the ranking is a sign that the program’s early momentum is getting noticed. Stein has been unwavering in his belief that the Wildcats can become a powerhouse, and when he was asked recently why he’s so confident, he pointed first to the roster, then to the infrastructure around it.
"I think we have great players. I really do.
I think it starts with that, and then when you look at the process and how we go about things on a daily basis, combine that with our coaching staff, I feel like we have the right pieces in this organization and in this university to go be great, and this was just one step in this process. It was one game," Stein recently said on ESPN's Matt and Myron.
"We expect to win every single game. We never line up across from somebody not thinking that, and it's not because we just believe; it's because of the work that we put in."
Now Kentucky has the ranking to match the noise around its breakthrough win, and the Wildcats have a chance to keep stacking results from here.
In Other News...
Kentucky Is Still Waiting On Trent Noah For One Big Reason
Trent Noah is heading into the 2026-27 season with an early setback, as Kentucky has had to manage two separate hamstring injuries for the sophomore wing. A UK spokesperson said the hamstring is progressing well and that a return is expected in the coming weeks, which at least gives the Wildcats a clearer sense of the timeline even if it does not solve the immediate rotation question.
Noahs absence has also come with a quieter kind of growth, because he said the injuries have changed how he views his basketball career and sharpened his appreciation for simply being able to play. For Kentucky, the hold-up is about more than just getting another body back on the floor. It is about waiting for a player who sees his value in more than scoring and knows there are still different ways to help once he returns. [Read more 🡒]
Kentuckys Preseason Injury Pileup Is Already Testing Fans Patience
Kentuckys preseason has already turned into an exercise in patience, with the Wildcats dealing with a string of offseason and early-preseason injuries before the games even begin. Kam Williams is still working back from a second foot surgery, while Milan Momcilovic and Trent Noah have also been sidelined, adding to the list of unavailable pieces as the staff tries to get a clearer read on its roster and rotation.
The latest concern came in practice, where Jerone Moton suffered a knee injury and will be re-evaluated. None of the setbacks has been reported as season-ending or expected to significantly alter the regular season, but the accumulation matters in Lexington, where every missed rep slows development and leaves fans waiting for the team to get all of its parts on the floor at once. [Read more 🡒]
Kentuckys LSU Homecoming Just Got Even Bigger For Wildcats Fans
Kentuckys October date with LSU already had plenty of built-in intrigue, and now it comes with a little more pageantry attached. The Wildcats and Tigers are both 3-1 overall and 1-1 in SEC play, which gives the matchup some early conference weight, but the atmosphere in Lexington should be just as much of a draw as the football. The game is set for a 7 p.m. ET kickoff on Oct. 10, 2026, on ESPN, and Kentucky will make it part of Homecoming with a Blue Out theme.
The night will also double as a Throwback Game, giving fans a chance to see the Wildcats in special uniforms while the stadium gets the full school-spirit treatment. For a home date against LSU, it is the kind of setup Kentucky wanted, one that blends meaningful SEC football with a setting designed to feel bigger than a standard Saturday in the fall. By the time kickoff arrives, the Wildcats should have a crowd dressed for the occasion and a national audience watching the whole thing unfold. [Read more 🡒]