Kentucky Men’s Basketball Returns to No. 1 in Polls

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Following a 4-0 start, including a victory over then-No. 13/13 Michigan State on Tuesday in the Champions Classic, the Kentucky men’s basketball team has returned to the top of the polls. UK landed at No. 1 when the Associated Top 25 and USA Today Coaches Poll were released Monday.

It’s the sixth time in John Calipari’s eight seasons at Kentucky the Wildcats have appeared at No. 1 at some point during the season in both major polls.

UK picked up 42 of the 65 first-place votes in the AP Top 25 and 20 of the 31 first-place votes in the Coaches Poll. 

UK is 66-6 as the AP No. 1 team since Calipari’s first year at the helm, the most wins in the country by a top-ranked team during that span. Calipari is 107-11 all-time as head coach of the AP’s top-ranked team, second among all active coaches.

The Wildcats own an all-time record of 218-29 (.883) at No. 1 in the AP Top 25, including victories in 63 of their last 67 contests as the AP’s top team. 

It will mark the Wildcats’ 123rd week atop the AP Top 25 all-time, behind only UCLA (134) and Duke (129). 

Kentucky has been ranked No. 1 in each of the last four seasons. Dating back to Memphis, Calipari has guided eight of his last 10 teams to a No. 1 ranking during the season. 

Kentucky returns to Rupp Arena on Wednesday vs. Cleveland State at 1 p.m. The game is set to air live on the SEC Network. 

For the latest on the Kentucky men’s basketball team, follow @KentuckyMBB on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and Snapchat, and on the web at UKathletics.com.