Kentucky is up 15 spots to No. 8 in ESPN’s College Basketball Power Rankings this week.
The Cats (3-0) were at No. 23 in the preseason rankings.
Kansas is No. 1, Auburn is No. 2 and Gonzaga is No. 3 in the updated power rankings.
The loss to Kentucky dropped Duke to No. 11.
Here is an excerpt about the Wildcats:
8. Kentucky Wildcats (3-0)
Preseason ranking: 23
At halftime during the Champions Classic, it was fair to question whether Kentucky could consistently get points in a half-court setting against a strong opponent. Duke was keeping the Wildcats out of transition, and after an early barrage of 3s, the team’s attack had dried up. Then Mark Pope made some smart tweaks offensively, using Amari Williams and Brandon Garrison as playmakers in the middle of the floor, and Andrew Carr created matchup problems. The Wildcats answered a lot of questions with their second-half showing.
Next seven days: vs. Lipscomb (Tuesday)
