Women’s Basketball No. 19 in Associated Press Preseason Top 25

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Associated Press released its 2016-17 Women’s College Basketball Preseason Top 25 Tuesday, with the University of Kentucky women’s basketball team listed inside the top 20 for the seventh straight season. 

Kentucky has been ranked in both the USA Today/Coaches’ Top 25 and The Associated Press Top 25 since week 13 of the 2009-10 season, which is a program-record streak. Tuesday’s release of the AP Top 25 makes 133 consecutive polls that have included the Wildcats. Last season, UK was ranked No. 18 in the AP Preseason Top 25. Last week the USA Today/Coaches’ Preseason Top 25 was released with UK sitting No. 19. 

Kentucky is scheduled to play 11 games against teams inside the AP Preseason Top 25, including No. 4 South Carolina (twice), No. 5 Louisville, No. 10 Mississippi State, No. 13 Tennessee, No. 14 Miami (Fla.), No. 16 Oklahoma, No. 18 Arizona State, No. 20 Florida and No. 24 Missouri (twice). UK is also scheduled to play Auburn, Texas A&M and Duke, who are each receiving votes in the poll. In all, 14 of Kentucky’s 29 regular-season games will come against teams either ranked or receiving votes in the preseason listing. 

Kentucky will start its 2016-17 season with the Kentucky Classic at Memorial Coliseum on Nov. 11-13 with No. 14 Miami (Fla.) and Albany, who advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament a season ago. UK and Miami (Fla.) will begin the event on Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. ET, followed by Kentucky and Albany on Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. ET and Albany and Miami (Fla.) concluding the event on Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. ET. Both Kentucky games will be broadcast live on SEC Network+ through WatchESPN. 

Season tickets for the 2016-17 season are available for $65 in upper level chairbacks, lower level bleachers and general admission upper level bleachers. Purchasing season tickets offers the best option and price savings for fans. Current and future season ticket holders are also encouraged to join the Victory Club, the official booster program for Kentucky women’s basketball. More information on the Victory Club can be found at bit.ly/VictoryClub.

Single-game tickets are also available through ticketmaster.com. Single-game tickets are $9 for reserved seating (all ages), $8 for general admission seating (adults) and $5 for general admission seating (youth 6-18/seniors 65+). General admission seating is free for ages five and under. 

On top of local schools receiving free admission to UK’s game on Nov. 17 against New Hampshire through RSVP online at ukathletics.com/page/wbbeducationgame, there are several other group offers for fans this season, including $3 tickets for groups of 10 or more, free admission for UK faculty and staff, birthday party packages and the Matthew Mitchell Winning Tools Ticket Program. For information on all special group tickets, visit ukathletics.com/page/tickets-womens-basketball. 

For more information on the Kentucky women’s basketball team, visit UKathletics.com or follow @KentuckyWBB on Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat, or Kentucky Women’s Basketball on Facebook.

2016-17 AP Preseason Top 25

1. Notre Dame (14) 33-2

2. Baylor (12) 36-2

3. Connecticut (6) 38-0

4. South Carolina (1) 33-2

5. Louisville 26-8

6. Maryland 31-4

7. Ohio State 26-8

8. Texas 31-5

9. UCLA 26-9

10. Mississippi State 28-8

11. Stanford 27-8

12. Florida State 25-8

13. Tennessee 22-14

14. Miami (FL) 24-9

15. Syracuse 30-8

16. Oklahoma 22-11

17. Washington 26-11

18. Arizona State 26-7

19. KENTUCKY 25-8

20. Florida 22-9

21. DePaul 27-9

22. West Virginia 25-10

23. Indiana 21-12

24. Missouri 22-10

25. Oregon State 32-5

  

Others receiving votes: Michigan State 78, Auburn 43, Texas A&M 20, Duke 16, Colorado State 10, California 9, Creighton 9, South Florida 8, Brigham Young 6, Temple 6, South Dakota State 5, Belmont 4, UTEP 3, Boise State 2, Green Bay 2, North Carolina State 2, Chattanooga 2, Iowa State 1, Saint Louis 1, Oregon 1.

Kentucky’s 2016-17 opponents in bold.