The Kentucky women’s basketball program is ranked at 14 in this week’s AP Poll. Wait, 14? That’s what they were ranked last week. Didn’t they beat a top-20 opponent by double figures and continue to be undefeated on the season? I’m glad you asked; that’s exactly right. They took on #19 Illinois last week and won 76-53 in a beat down of another top 20 opponent. Yet they didn’t move up? Yup, and it’s baffling.
The Lady Cats are 7-0 to start the season and have two top-20 wins on their resume beating Louisville and Illinois. They continue to impress and win games convincingly, but somehow, the AP Poll voters aren’t swayed and are unwilling to move them up. There was a ton of movement around them, including TCU jumping eight spots from behind the Wildcats to in front of them all the way up to #9 due to a big win over #3 Notre Dame.
There is some speculation that part of the reason Kentucky women remain at 14 is because their last two games were on some random subscription-based service: BallerTV. Since it was buried in some back internet channel, not enough voters were able to see the convincing win over Illinois. However, that’s a lame excuse since the box score isn’t hidden, and the recap is available to anyone who wants to look for it.
It really appears to be an oversight as teams moved all around them, but Kentucky was stuck in the same spot. This week, the Lady Cats have another opportunity to impress AP Poll voters when they participate in the ESPN SEC/ACC Basketball Challenge. Their matchup is on the road against the #16 North Carolina Tar Heels. That game will take place on December 5th at 5 pm on ESPN2. If they are able to win that contest, that gives them 3 top-20 wins on their resume.
