The 2026-27 season is an important one for both coach Mark Pope, and for the Kentucky basketball program. The Wildcats haven't had much postseason success in recent years, and it's been more than a decade since they made a Final Four. That's simply unacceptable for Big Blue Nation.

After a disappointing year last season, Pope is counting on this year's team to erase those memories. He has a talented team, but one with question marks as well, and many are still not quite believers, which explains why Kentucky barely made the preseason top 25 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.

The Wildcats come in ranked No. 23, which is 7th among teams from the SEC. That's in line with the voting of the SEC media, who recently picked Kentucky to finish 7th in the conference. The Florida Gators are the No. 1 overall team, and the Texas Longhorns and Tennessee Volunteers are also in the top ten. Seven SEC teams are ranked, and three more received votes.

Kentucky opens their season on Nov. 3, and will face some very good teams early on. They have to prove that they can play with those squads, and Pope and his players will certainly be eager to prove the voters wrong.