NCAA Basketball: Kentucky, Arkansas fall in latest top 25 power ranking
By Joey Loose
17. Kentucky (4-0)
John Calipari has brought in an impressive class of recruits and paired them with a few talented veterans in this Wildcats lineup. The results haven’t always gone as expected for Kentucky in recent years, though the faithful in Lexington are hoping they can make headway against a tough SEC. While this team has looked good early in the year, they came just short in their first major test this week.
Playing against a very strong Kansas squad in the Champions Classic, Kentucky fell 89-84, though they led at the half and played a great game. Antonio Reeves had 24 points while Adou Thiero added 16 points and 13 rebounds in the tough loss. The Wildcats were back in action three days later and made easy work of Stonehill, securing a 101-67 win. It was an incredible shooting performance for Kentucky (64% from the field), with freshman Reed Sheppard (25 points, 7 assists) and Rob Dillingham (20 points, 7 assists) really shining off the bench.
It’s been a combination of factors at work through four games for the Wildcats. The freshmen shined on Friday, while it was the defense getting the job done in the opening week. The whole rotation needs to play their best against these big-time foes, though the Wildcats did give top-ranked Kansas a significant challenge this week. Less difficulty lies ahead, as Kentucky will host Saint Joseph’s and Marshall next week.