Kentucky basketball holds steady at No. 17 in the AP Top 25 poll released February 24th, 2025, after a 96-83 loss to No. 6 Alabama dropped their record to 18-9 (7-7 SEC). Big Blue Nation (BBN) is restless—four regular-season games remain, and injuries to Lamont Butler and Jaxson Robinson loom large—but could this mid-tier ranking signal an unlikely championship path? The last time a team sat at No. 17 this late and won it all was 1985’s Villanova, a wildcat omen that’s got wildcatbluenation.com asking: can history repeat for Kentucky in 2025?
The Wildcats’ No. 17 spot—unchanged from last week despite the Alabama loss (461 poll points)—puts them behind SEC foes Auburn (No. 1, 1500 points), Florida (No. 3, 1397 points), Tennessee (No. 5, 1236 points), Alabama (No. 6, 1198 points), Missouri (No. 14, 683 points), and Mississippi State (No. 24, 264 points), per the AP poll. Koby Brea’s 20-point effort couldn’t stop Alabama’s Mark Sears (30 points), exposing Kentucky’s road woes. Yet, rewind to February 25th, 1985: Villanova, ranked No. 17 in the AP poll, was 19-10 before stunning No. 1 Georgetown 66-64 in the NCAA title game on April 1st—the first 8-seed champ. That Wildcats squad, with eight losses entering March, mirrors Kentucky’s current nine-loss mark, sparking BBN’s “what if” dreams.
Villanova’s 1985 run was no fluke—Ed Pinckney’s 16 points and 6 rebounds outdueled Patrick Ewing, shooting 8-of-10 in a near-perfect upset. Kentucky’s 85.8 PPG offense (No. 3 nationally) and a defense surging from 109th to 69th in KenPom (101.6 points/100 possessions) since January hint at similar grit. Facing a road game in Norman and No. 1 Auburn next, a 22-9 finish isn’t crazy—matching Villanova’s pre-tourney stride.
Kentucky Women’s Basketball: No. 15 and Hungry
The Kentucky women’s team sits at No. 15 in the AP poll (353 points) after a 65-58 loss to No. 7 LSU on February 23, dropping to 21-5 (8-2 SEC). LSU’s comeback from a 13-point deficit stung, but Georgia Amoore’s 15 points and 7 assists keep hope alive—next up, No. 11 Tennessee on February 27th offers a shot to climb.
For Kentucky basketball’s men at No. 17, history’s rare twist—Villanova’s 1985 title—teases a path. Can Pope’s Cats defy the odds again?