Kentucky hoops jump to #9 and is getting a ton of national love after an undefeated start

The Kentucky Wildcats are the talk around town (really the nation) this week, and about every national pundit has had something to say about this new-look team. They have jumped up in the AP Poll to number 9. Mark Pope has changed the narrative for Kentucky, and fast. They are rising up the rankings, and their perceptions as a top team have ascended.

Here are some of the best posts and articles around the nation that showcase the Wildcats getting some love. Let's start with our very own network, Fansided, and look over the college basketball site, Busting Brackets. Kentucky has risen their own top 25 rankings and now sits at 14, one ahead of Duke. You can read that article here.

Busting Brackets also asks the question, "Are the Kentucky Wildcats the best team in the SEC?" They lay out their power rankings in this article, and I won't spoil where Justin Wiles of Busting Brackets ranks them.

Jon Rothstein, one of the biggest college basketball analysts, has moved Kentucky way up his board and has them at #4!

Rob Dauster, the founder of the Field of 68, has also propelled Kentucky into the top 10 at number 6 and dropped Duke to number 7.

John Fanta, of Fox Sports, has Kentucky up to 12, once again right before Duke. Noticing a theme?

The College Basketball Report gives weekly shoutouts to specific categories. This week, Kentucky was featured in four of those categories: best team, best coach, rising team, and best game of the week.

In a similar fashion, Andy Katz and Dick Vitale also gave Kentucky the Team of the Week weekly award after their big win over Duke in the Champions Classic.

There's a lot to love about the Kentucky men's basketball team, and the national spotlight is starting to notice them. The Wildcats return to action tomorrow at Rupp Arena against Lipscomb at 7 pm EST.