What does the Kentucky women’s basketball team have to do to get ranked in the top 25? Beat the undefeated men’s team?It sounds crazy, but it’s not anymore inexplicable than the puzzling news that Matthew Mitchell’s team has once again been left out of the top 25 of the two major polls, despite a 13-2 record.Kentucky picked up 35 receiving votes in the Associated Press Top 25, the equivalent of 27th, and 64 votes in the ESPN/USA Today Poll, which checks the Cats in at No. 26.Sure, it means UK is getting close to cracking the top 25, but why aren’t they already in there?Before last week critics could have pointed to a so-so nonconference schedule, but the Cats more than proved themselves against the Southeastern Conference’s best last week. UK took then-No. 8 Georgia into overtime in Athens, Ga., before toppling then-No. 17 Vanderbilt on Sunday.What’s even more head-scratching is that Georgia moved up two spots to No. 6 and previously beaten Vandy remained ahead of the Cats in both polls.Look, I’m no women’s basketball expert and I’m not here to argue the credentials of Georgia and Vanderbilt – they certainly deserve their lofty national rankings – but how can the pollsters leave out a team that was every bit as good as nationally ranked Georgia and Vandy?It just doesn’t make sense.Whatever the case is, Mitchell didn’t sound concerned after Sunday’s victory with the respect (or lack of respect) his team has received. Mitchell said he knows what his team has, and that’s all that matters.Maybe the rest of the nation will know what Kentucky has after games against South Carolina and Alabama. Just maybe.
