While the eye test on Mark Pope’s first Kentucky basketball team is still a few weeks away, the preseason analytics are already falling in love with the Wildcats. In his highly respected season preview rankings, analyst Evan Miya has Kentucky debuting as the tenth-overall team in the nation.
Miya’s metrics, which have been bullish on UK's transfer class all summer, give the Wildcats an offensive rating of 11.3 and a defensive rating of 10.1. That defensive number, in particular, points to a team built to correct the most glaring weakness of a season ago.
Addressing last year’s biggest problem
Fans will remember all too well how last year's team struggled on the defensive end. Opponents found it far too easy to get straight-line drives to the rim, forcing Kentucky's defense into a constant state of recovery. The team had skill and finesse but often struggled with physicality when challenged by bigger, stronger opponents.
This 2025-26 roster appears to be the answer to that problem.
On paper, Mark Pope has assembled a squad that is longer, more athletic, and built with a defensive identity. Players like Mo Dioubate and Kam Williams are known for their defensive tenacity and versatility. This is a group of bigger bodies that will not accept being pushed around. They will have the muscle, and perhaps more importantly, the depth, to enforce a much more physical style of play and avoid the defensive breakdowns that plagued them last season.
And that is before Jayden Qauintance and his 2 blocks a game get healthy enough to play. Kentucky is in a really good spot, on paper. We will get to see what that translates to on the court at the end of October.
Drew Holbrook is an avid Kentucky fan who has been covering the Cats for over 10 years. In his free time, he spends time with his family, and watching Premier League soccer. Psalm 121:7-8.#UpTheAlbion