“Kentucky wins the breakup” and other national interpretations of the 2024-25 Cats

Opening Day for college basketball is finally here and it feels like Christmas. There's a whole host of events going on on your TVs and streaming devices, but if you'd rather spend your time pre-reading, I've got just the thing.

In keeping with tradition, college basketball writers dropped their predictions for the 2024-25 season this morning. No one I can find was bold enough to pick Kentucky to go to the Final Four or win the title in Mark Pope's first season, but the Cats were a popular topic of conversation. Here's a roundup of what the national media is saying about Kentucky as the new era begins.

None of ESPN's four college basketball writers (Myron Medcalf, Jeff Borzello, Joe Lunardi and Neil Paine) picked Kentucky to win the SEC or make the Final Four. Three of the four writers ensure Alabama takes home the SEC crown and makes it to the Final Four. Borzello and Lunardi believe Kansas will win it all, while Medcalf picks the Crimson Tide and Paine Houston.

Lunardi actually played heel by suggesting that Kentucky could become the first top 25 team to lose in the NCAA Tournament.

Just a hunch, of course, but wouldn't it be ironic if Kentucky's early-round woes continued? Sure, Mark Pope has assembled a roster that could play into April, but it also might turn out that John Calipari wasn't the problem. We'll see.

Joe Lunardi, ESPN

Borzello and Medcalf also sorted 99 teams into 12 ranks. Kentucky is listed as one of 12 “Second Weekend Threats,” the third group behind “National Championship Favorites” and “Final Four Contenders.” John Calipari and Arkansas are there too.

New coaches were the theme of the season at Arkansas and Kentucky, with John Calipari leaving Lexington for Fayetteville. Calipari took three Kentucky players and three Kentucky commits with him to Arkansas and also added top transfers Johnell Davis (Florida Atlantic) and Jonas Aidoo (Tennessee). At Kentucky he was eventually replaced by Mark Pope, who brings dramatic changes to the Wildcats. The unique five-star categories in Lexington are here. It's a veteran-laden, fast-paced, 3-point-happy system. There are plenty of proven college players on this roster, led by Jaxson Robinson, who followed Pope from BYU.

ESPN

Even on CBS Sports' seven-member panel, Kentucky couldn't crack the Final Four or NCAA champion predictions. Houston and UConn were the popular favorites to win it all, and all but one of the seven have Alabama in the Final Four. I think you'll like David Cobb's bold prediction.

Kentucky wins the split: Arkansas was ranked fourth in the SEC's preseason poll, while Kentucky was ranked eighth. But by the end of John Calipari's first season as Razorbacks coach, it will be clear that UK has won the split. First-year Kentucky coach Mark Pope assembled an experienced roster full of players with clearly defined skills and roles that should contribute to a successful debut season. Arkansas has more talent, but that means the expectations of a coach who has to prove he still has the championship touch will be difficult to meet.

David Cobb, CBS Sports

Last week, CBS Sports' Isaac Trotter listed Kentucky as one of his favorites for the national title, along with Illinois, Wake Forest, St. John's and UCLA.

Mark Pope's offensive performance will be outstanding. This roster is made up of veterans who can pass, dribble and shoot a million three-point shots. Additionally, this point of attack defense should be stiff when Otega Oweh or Lamont Butler are on the ground. If Kentucky's 3-point percentage drops in March, it could result in a string of consecutive wins.

Isaac Trotter, CBS Sports

Gonzaga is the title favorite in The Athletic's predictions, while all of the other usual suspects — Alabama, Houston, Kansas, UConn — are listed as popular Final Four picks. Jesse Temple predicted Arkansas will reach the Final Four in John Calipari's first season in Fayetteville. For his bold prediction, Tobias Bass said he believes Kentucky will make at least the Sweet 16 in its first year under Pope.

Mark Pope and Grant McCasland lead their teams – Kentucky and Texas Tech – to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. To make runs in March you need to have five things: accurate players, NBA-level players, the ability to play and adapt to multiple styles, depth and solid coaching. Both teams possess all five of these characteristics. The Red Raiders added four transfers and all have played in at least one NCAA Tournament game. The Wildcats added nine players through the portal – seven averaged at least 10 points per game last year, while another, Lamont Butler, averaged 9.4 points and has Final Four experience at San Diego State.

Tobias Bass, The Athletic

Alabama is a leading candidate to win the national championship, but Yahoo Sports' Ryan Young writes that John Calipari's move to Arkansas and Mark Pope's return to Lexington are making headlines in the SEC.

The SEC is better than ever at basketball. But how Calipari and Pope fare in their first seasons in their new homes — and how Calipari fares when he makes his first trip back to Kentucky with the Razorbacks on Feb. 1 — will certainly be the main focus around the league. One of the top games currently on the schedule is certainly the duel in the Rupp Arena, which will be extremely entertaining.

Ryan Young, Yahoo Sports

In his 68 bold predictions for the season, Jeff Eisenberg says both Kentucky and John Calipari needed a fresh start and that neither the Cats nor the Razorbacks are Final Four contenders.

Will Kentucky have a better season under Mark Pope? Or will Arkansas have bragging rights after Calipari's debut season? The boring truth is that both look similar as teams that should easily reach the NCAA Tournament but probably won't contend for the Final Four. Arkansas has more top talent. Kentucky's modern style of play should help maximize the number of shooters acquired through the transfer portal.

Jeff Eisenberg, Yahoo Sports

Kentucky in the preseason rankings

Kentucky is No. 23 in the AP and Coaches preseason polls. Here's where the Cats rank in all the other preseason polls:

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