NCAA Basketball: North Carolina, Gonzaga tumble on latest top 25 power ranking
By Joey Loose
15. Kentucky (5-2)
Things are still coming together for Kentucky, who previously dropped both of their big-time matchups and now sit saddled with two losses already. These last few years have been a bit of a downturn for the Wildcats, but none of that matters for this season. Oscar Tshiebwe has looked great when he’s been out there and looks like an early contender to win another AP Player of the Year award, but is that enough?
It wasn’t their prettiest effort, but the Wildcats got another tally in the win column this week with a 60-41 victory over Bellarmine. Antonio Reeves led the way with 18 points while Jacob Toppin had 12 points in the low-scoring affair. Tshiebwe (12 rebounds) helped the Wildcats greatly outrebound Bellarmine, surviving their worst offensive performance of the season by allowing just 41 points to the Knights.
While it wasn’t a convincing performance to get back on track, a 19-point win is still solid enough for Kentucky. They don’t exactly look like an elite team so far this season but they’ll get that chance to prove themselves before you know it. They’ll face off with Michigan on Sunday and have a date with UCLA looming in just a few weeks. We already know that Reeves can shoot and Tshiebwe can rebound, but can the other pieces on this team put it together before SEC play begins in late December?