Kentucky will begin the season as the top-ranked team in the USA Today Coaches’ Poll for the third season in a row.
The Wildcats share the preseason top spot with North Carolina. The two teams both garnered 749 points from the ballots of 32 Division I coaches. UNC had 12 first-place votes, compared with UK’s 11. Kentucky is 63-5 as the No. 1 team in the country since John Calipari’s first year at the helm, the best record in the country by a top-ranked team during that span.
The Wildcats own an all-time record of 215-28 (.885) as the nation’s top-ranked squad in the Associated Press Top 25.
Four preseason coaches’ top-25 teams are on Kentucky’s 2015-16 schedule (No. 4 Duke, No. 5 Kansas, No. 19 LSU and No. 20 Vanderbilt). Kentucky was ranked No. 1 throughout last season up until the final poll, where the Wildcats finished No. 3.
Each of the past two seasons when the Wildcats began the season as the coaches’ No. 1 team they reached the Final Four, making the national championship game in 2014 and the semifinals last season.
The Wildcats kickoff the 2015-16 season Friday with their annual Big Blue Madness open practice with the women’s basketball team. Big Blue Madness at Rupp Arena, which is sold out, begins at 7 p.m. and will be televised live on the SEC Network. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
From UK Athletics