The NET Rankings are out and Kentucky is high on the list

Where was Kentucky ranked in the first NET Rankings.

Nov 29, 2024; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope directs his players during the first half against the Georgia State Panthers at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images / Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

The first NET Rankings of the 2024-25 college basketball season came out, and the Wildcats were eighth overall. The Wildcats were the fourth-highest team in the SEC, as Tennessee, Auburn, and Florida were all ahead of the Wildcats.

The NET Rankings are very important when it comes to NCAA Tournament Seeding. Teams need to have a great record in Quad 1 games, and they need to not have any Quad 3 or 4 losses. At the moment, the Wildcats are doing well in both of these categories.

Let's take a look at Kentucky's schedule broken down into which Quad each of the wins falls under.

Quad 1: 1-0
Quad 2: 0-0
Quad 3: 3-0
Quad 4: 3-0

Last season, Kentucky lost a game to UNC Wilmington, which really hurt them in the NET Rankings. The Wildcats have done an excellent job avoiding this so far early into the season, but there are a few Quad 3 and 4 games left in the non-conference schedule.

The Wildcats are getting ready to play Clemson in their first on-campus road game of the season. This game is a part of the SEC/ACC Challenge, so Kentucky has a big test coming up on Tuesday. Clemson is ranked 18th in the NET Rankings, so this is a Quad 1 opportunity for Coach Pope and this team. The game against Gonzaga is also a Quad 1 game, so the Wildcats have a very important week coming up.

Quad 1 wins are incredibly valuable, and Mark Pope's team has a chance to pick up two this week.