Where will Kentucky finish in the SEC in the 2024-25 season?

The SEC will be absolutely loaded with talent this season.

Jan 16, 2024; Provo, Utah, USA; Brigham Young Cougars head coach Mark Pope calls a play against the Iowa State Cyclones during the first half at Marriott Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images / Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Last week, Kentucky Wildcats on SI predicted Kentucky's record in conference play this season, and now it's time to take a look at where Kentucky might finish in the conference rankings. The conference is as loaded as it has ever been, as the conference could have nearly double-digit programs among the top 25 to start the season.

Mark Pope is bringing in a whole new roster in his first season as the head coach of the Wildcats, and is going to be tested a lot this season when facing some conference foes. Alabama is seen as the best team in the conference to begin the season, especially being one of the best teams in the entire country. The return of Mark Sears, Grant Nelson, and others will compliment well with the additions of Auburn transfer Aden Holloway and the freshmen class. Auburn, their in-state foe, will be returning arguably one of the best big men in the country in Johni Broome, as well as Dylan Cardwell, Chris Moore, and five-star freshman Jahki Howard. Arkansas, under former Kentucky coach John Calipari, has a ton of familiar faces for Kentucky fans. Along with returning Travon Brazile, the Razorbacks added DJ Wagner, Adou Thiero, Zvonimir Ivisic, Billy Richmond, Karter Knox, Boogie Fland, and Johnell Davis. There's another big contender in the SEC. Reigning conference champions, Tennessee, will be returning Zakai Zeigler and have added coveted transfer Chaz Lanier, putting them as yet another top contender in the conference.

Then you have others like Florida, Texas A&M, Texas, and Ole Miss, who are all also projected among the top 25 in many preseason rankings. The challenges don't slow down for the Wildcats, but the experience of this WIldcats roster will be key in handling all of that. Plenty of top SEC talent will be returning to their respective teams once again this season, while the Wildcats will look brand new. When factoring in the expected talent of the conference this season, predicting Kentucky to finish 4th overall in the conference isn't necessarily a bad thing for Mark Pope in his first season. A new team is hard to guage without having seen a game yet, but judging by the talent of the others heading into the season, that's a fair landing to predict the Wildcats to finish at. There are a lot of preseason SEC rankings out there, but the media in the SEC is also predicting Kentucky to finish 4th overall in such a loaded conference, behind Tennessee, Texas A&M, and Arkansas.

It's going to be a tough road ahead with Kentucky's conference schedule, but having an exciting offensive system and knowing how good the Wildcats could be on that end of the floor is really exciting to think about, especially with the potential progress as the season goes on.