Just a few weeks ago, the Kentucky Wildcats made a strong statement by defeating the Duke Blue Devils on a neutral court, marking their first major win of the season. That victory also handed Duke its first loss of the year, and since then, the Blue Devils have added a second defeat to their record, falling to Kansas. Yet, in the latest AP Poll, Kentucky has found itself slipping a spot to #5, while Duke has leapfrogged them to claim the #4 ranking.
This decision is puzzling, especially when considering Kentucky’s impressive resume. The Wildcats remain the only team in college basketball to have notched two top-5 NET wins so far this season. They’ve defeated both Gonzaga and Duke, ranked #3 and #4, respectively, in the latest rankings. Furthermore, Kentucky’s lone loss came in a tough road environment against the now-ranked #16 Clemson Tigers, a game played in front of a hostile crowd. Despite the setback, Kentucky quickly bounced back, securing a big overtime victory against Gonzaga in Seattle.
In fairness, Duke’s schedule has been no walk in the park either. The Blue Devils have defeated quality teams, including Arizona, Auburn, and Louisville. Their only two losses have come against top-tier competition—first to Kansas, who was ranked #1 at the time, and then to Kentucky. However, even with these wins, it’s difficult to justify Duke’s higher ranking over Kentucky, especially when considering the head-to-head result.
Duke’s placement at #4 while Kentucky sits at #5 raises questions about the consistency of the AP Poll voters. Is there an underlying narrative that some voters are holding onto, suggesting that Duke is still superior to Kentucky despite the loss? It’s hard to ignore that the Wildcats’ defeat to Clemson, while frustrating, shouldn’t drastically impact their standing, particularly given the Tigers’ rise to the #16 spot. Meanwhile, Duke has lost two games and hasn’t faced the same scrutiny for their defeats.
Kentucky fans, of course, will shrug off these rankings with the mentality, “Just win, and it won’t matter.” It’s true—if the Wildcats continue to rack up victories, the rankings will eventually reflect their performance. And with the strength of the SEC this year, Kentucky has plenty of opportunities to build an even more impressive resume. The SEC has emerged as the premier basketball conference in the country, with numerous teams capable of challenging Kentucky and providing high-quality victories. Meanwhile, Duke’s remaining schedule features a less competitive ACC, which might not offer the same level of opportunities for resume-building.
Ultimately, the AP Poll’s decision to place Duke ahead of Kentucky feels like an oversight, but for the Wildcats, it simply provides more motivation to keep winning and let the results speak for themselves. With an exciting SEC schedule ahead, Kentucky’s standing will be solidified as they face off against some of the best teams in the country, potentially leaving these early-season ranking debates behind them.