CBS sports moved Kentucky up to 16th preseason

[bbncal02]

I don't mind it being low, but it's ridiculous.

Who has more talent? No one

Kansas at #1 centered around a center (haha Dad joke) who couldn't make the NCAA with two top 15 draft picks??? I think they are WAY overhyped unless the don't slow it down like Juwan did.

Purdue returns everyone from a team with one of the two worst ever losses in NCAA history? Not sold on them (yes I know what Virginia did after that). Notice that hardly no one had them in the Final Four last year. Big Ten is too over hyped in hoops

Duke looks legit. Can Scheyer get them there?

FAU at #4??? Did UCLA in 2021 and UNC in 2022 not teach us anything about getting hot at the right time? They needed a blown call to beat Memphis in round 1

MSU also looks legit, but they look legit a lot and don't live up to it.

I ain't doing it for everyone, but there are questions about every team ahead of us. Thing is no one comes close to the talent we have. Will it come together and roll? Who knows anymore, but I like my team

If anyone picks Purdue to win it all AGAIN, they need their head examined. They're as bad as UT football fans ("This is our year baby!") I know our tourney runs leave a lot to be desired here lately, but LOL at Purdue and Painter. Painter is an awful coach in the tourney and B1G is almost always overrated.

Duke and KU will be our biggest threats as always. MSU? Well, I don't care about them at all unless its March and they are in our region/side of the bracket.

FAU will be one to watch. They were a very good team. Can they do it again?

I like my team too; but I'm also gun shy. It's time for Cal an company to punch some people in the metaphorical mouth and earn some respect again.

 

[TNCatfanforever]

Seem a bit low? Talent wise, Kentucky has to be a lot higher. But there’s a ton of inexperience

It has a lot to so with the coach. Most pollsters realize Cal does less with more and the game has passed him bye.

 

[Cowtown Cat]

what team had a NPOY along with a smattering of NBA talent and managed to have 1 NCAA tourney win in 2 years?

its not about the talent we have when it comes to rankings

Meh. We didn’t have nearly as much NBA talent last two years as we do this year.

 

[Fox2monk]

I mean, I get that and all. Still, this team is clear cut top 10. It’s pretty obvious. Injuries could derail it I reckon.

I think we are top 10 quality especially if this new dude is as good as he seems. When Bradshaw and Ugo are healthy I really love our team. Hopefully everything works out like that.

 

[Cowtown Cat]

I think we are top 10 quality especially if this new dude is as good as he seems. When Bradshaw and Ugo are healthy I really love our team. Hopefully everything works out like that.

I guess what I’m getting at is that we haven’t moved much at all even after returning/adding: Reeves, Burks, Hart, Mitchell and this Croatian dude. That’s some big time talent/experience we’ve added.

 

[Padsfs07]

I guess what I’m getting at is that we haven’t moved much at all even after returning/adding: Reeves, Burks, Hart, Mitchell and this Croatian dude. That’s some big time talent/experience we’ve added.

It doesn't make any sense. We also were very high at the beginning of the off-season, then we lost Oscar and Livingston, and everyone dropped us like a rock.

 

[Cowtown Cat]

It doesn't make any sense. We also were very high at the beginning of the off-season, then we lost Oscar and Livingston, and everyone dropped us like a rock.

This!

 

[sluggercatfan]

I'm tired of being top 5 preseason, and then sucking. I'm good with it. We should have enough talent to be top 5, but let's just win games. The rankings will work themselves out.

At this point I time, it dosent matter@

 

[YardCat]

I will tell you after the Kansas game where we need to be ranked

 

[$Z71$]

I'm tired of being top 5 preseason, and then sucking. I'm good with it. We should have enough talent to be top 5, but let's just win games. The rankings will work themselves out.

^^^ I like this as well. Let people not realize the potential of this team. On paper I’m not sure there is a team more talented with depth. Of course that potential and if even 3/4 of our players pan out like we think we should have a legit title contender team this season. It’s been several years since I felt that way.

 

[ruppcat]

Seem a bit low? Talent wise, Kentucky has to be a lot higher. But there’s a ton of inexperience

They're starting to factor in the liability on the bench.

 

[Bhad Rhabies]

Seem a bit low? Talent wise, Kentucky has to be a lot higher. But there’s a ton of inexperience

Eh Gary Parrish is a Cal hating Memphis fan, I don’t really care about preseason rank though, I think we’re going to be very good and very good right away.

It will be a nice change of pace to start the reason ranked in the teens and then show ourselves to be a top 5 team, rather than start the season ranked in the top 5 and show right away we should be ranked into the teens.

 

[westerncat]

It is all going to depend on how will Coach this team. Play the bench and run run run.

 

[Blueworld_3.0]

#16 is more realistic I'd say. The program hasn't proved it deserved any lofty rankings recently.
Moot point anyway. Rankings mean nothing till Feb. 1st.

 

[TankedCat]

a bit of a tangent here

I've been saying for years that we need a point system where based on some formula, every DI team is ranked with the top 64 going to the NCAA tournament. There would be no selection Sunday, just March 6 or whenever , those 64 go to the tournament.

It would make every game important - whether its November 30th or February 25th...you want to load up with cupcakes? fine but don't be surprised if you are ranked 80th in the country and have to win your conference tourney to get in.

End the season with rivalry games so that teams that are potentially out of the top 64 can play spoiler for those that are just barely hanging in there or maybe knocking the #1 team out of a top 4 position.

Then all this talk about rankings, while not meaning in the preseason would actually mean something
and it would eliminate all these AD's at the end of the season shrugging their shoulders about how they picked a team from their conference to go and a team that won 24 games is playing in the NIT.

 

[Blueheart32]

There are a lot of reasons why they are starting out a little low. Maybe Cals recent history, and being heavily freshman laden, and, because these polls are made by people casting votes. A lot of those votes are fed by emotions, lack of knowledge, and copying peers opinions. I would put a lot more stock in what Las Vegas thinks than a bunch of sports writers and pundits that have their own allegiances. Here is what Vegas thinks.

 

[WhatAreYouDoing]

a bit of a tangent here

I've been saying for years that we need a point system where based on some formula, every DI team is ranked with the top 64 going to the NCAA tournament. There would be no selection Sunday, just March 6 or whenever , those 64 go to the tournament.

It would make every game important - whether its November 30th or February 25th...you want to load up with cupcakes? fine but don't be surprised if you are ranked 80th in the country and have to win your conference tourney to get in.

End the season with rivalry games so that teams that are potentially out of the top 64 can play spoiler for those that are just barely hanging in there or maybe knocking the #1 team out of a top 4 position.

Then all this talk about rankings, while not meaning in the preseason would actually mean something
and it would eliminate all these AD's at the end of the season shrugging their shoulders about how they picked a team from their conference to go and a team that won 24 games is playing in the NIT.

Holy I like this idea

 

[bbncal02]

There are a lot of reasons why they are starting out a little low. Maybe Cals recent history, and being heavily freshman laden, and, because these polls are made by people casting votes. A lot of those votes are fed by emotions, lack of knowledge, and copying peers opinions. I would put a lot more stock in what Las Vegas thinks than a bunch of sports writers and pundits that have their own allegiances. Here is what Vegas thinks.

Why is Purdue so dang high? Have people truly not learned? They go St. Peter'd like us and then lost to a 16 seed the following season. I don't get it.

 

[UKBB4Ever]

It has a lot to so with the coach. Most pollsters realize Cal does less with more and the game has passed him bye.

No one outside of the 50 or so CHC members think that. And no one "realizes" that. Someone would have to in reality to have a real thought.

 

[JagCat93]

Top 10 in talent for sure. Guess the national media has been fooled too many times by early season UK to rank them higher. I’m happy with the roster for the first time in many years so the ranking doesn’t bother me

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

Our talent is top 5 but I agree with my buddy Mike above. We should probably be rank somewhere between 7-10.

 

[kywildcats8]

Seem a bit low? Talent wise, Kentucky has to be a lot higher. But there’s a ton of inexperience

Preseason rankings don't mean much in college basketball like they do in college football

 

[Blueheart32]

Why is Purdue so dang high? Have people truly not learned? They go St. Peter'd like us and then lost to a 16 seed the following season. I don't get it.

They in love with Edey.

 

[Blueisbest]

Doesn't matter where they rank us at the beginning of the year. We're gonna be number 1 on the first Monday in April.

 

[Fox2monk]

I agree it's low, but maybe CBS is as tired of Cal's lack of production as we are.

We should be 10-12 right now. But I'm ok with this. Maybe it will piss them boys off. Been awhile since we've seen a mad UK team that wants blood.

Probably 2017 is the last team that really came out to beat everybody they played.

 

[TheDude73]

Youth, lack of experience.

Cal as coach.

 

[true blue1]

Cal as coach.

Hard to disagree.

 

[DraftCat]

I'm okay starting the season low for once....

 

[Skyguyb27]

I’m good with the ranking. Tired of being embarrassed for getting the benefit of the doubt on talent. Let them prove it. Smash a few ranked teams and they’ll get what’s theirs.

 

[HYTCHYE ISLAND]

Tell ya this much…I wouldn’t even consider trading rosters with ANYONE else this year! Our CATS are stacked and crazy talented!

 

[CaptainBoogerBuns]

Heck..rank us 26th..then we angrily chip our way to the top 5.

 

[kennyskywalker34]

16th? Haven't they heard the Cats are going 40-0? I know this because I read it here before every season starts.
In all seriousness preseason polls are the dumbest things ever.
I know it's for TV top 25 matchups and all. But shouldn't be one till around Mid January or even February 1.

 

[Disappointed Cat]

Seem a bit low? Talent wise, Kentucky has to be a lot higher. But there’s a ton of inexperience

It is not the talent holding down the ranking.....it is the coach!!