Wrapping Up

1.  Michigan finished as the Number 1 team on Ken Pom.  Their Net Rating of +39.70 is the highest in his dataset, which goes back to 1997.  They were Number 78 in luck.

2.  UConn finished as the Number 9 team on Ken Pom, and ranked 45 in luck.

3.  Florida was the top-ranked team in the SEC.  They finished Number 6 on Ken Pom, and number 295 in luck.  Last year they were 100 in luck.

4.  Vandy finished Number 11 on Ken Pom, and number 177 in luck.  It's their highest final rating in Ken Pom's dataset.  It's also the first time in the dataset that Vandy has finished the year ranked ahead of every other school in Kentucky and Tennessee.

5.  Kentucky finished number 29 on Ken Pom, and number 213 in luck.  Here are UK's teams since 2019, the last time the Cats reached a Regional Final:

2020:  25-6 (15-3 in the SEC) (29 on Ken Pom) (No NCAA Tournament)

2021:  9-16 (8-9) (49) (missed the NCAA Tournament)

2022:  26-8 (14-4) (6) (eliminated in the first round by St. Peter's)

2023:  22-12 (12-6) (27) (eliminated in the second round by Kansas St.)

2024:  23-10 (13-5) (23) (eliminated in the first round by Oakland)

2025:  24-12 (10-8) (16) (eliminated in the Regional Semi-Final by Tennessee)

2026:  22-14 (10-8) (29) (eliminated in the second round by Iowa St.)

The NYT has UK ranked number 19 in its Way Too Early Top 25.  I think that's about where they will be ranked when the season starts next year.  I don't think that's where they will finish.

6.  This was the 51st time I have watched the NCAA Tournament since I became a UK fan in early 1975.  If you give each team 1 point for every appearance in the Regional Semi-Finals over that period, 2 points for each appearance in the Regional Finals, 4 points for each appearance in the National Semi-Finals, 8 points for each appearance in the National Final, and 16 points for each National Championship, then the top ten teams of this era look like this:

1.  Duke:  295 (1991, 1992, 2001, 2010, 2015)

2.  N. Carolina:  287 (1982, 1993, 2005, 2009, 2017)

3.  Kentucky:  237 (1978, 1996, 1998, 2012)

4.  Connecticut:  228 (1999, 2004, 2011, 2014, 2023, 2024)

5.  Kansas:  192 (1988, 2008, 2022)

6.  Michigan:  154 (1989, 2026)

7.  Louisville:  149 (1980, 1986, 2013)

8.  U.C.L.A.:  141 (1975, 1995)

9.  Michigan St:  139 (1979, 2000)

10.  Florida:  136 (2006, 2007, 2025)

And that wraps up the 2026 NCAA Basketball Season, which was a great one.

Byington Watch

As Dusty May has turned down UNC, everyone is reporting that Mark Byington of Vanderbilt is under consideration to be the next coach of the Tar Heels.  Of course, that would be a disaster for Vanderbilt, although their Athletic Director has shown serious talent in hiring new coaches.  I don't think it matters that much for UK, because the Cats will be losing to both Vandy and UNC for some time to come.

The last great coach at Vandy was Eddie Fogler, who won the SEC Regular Season title in 1993.  But he was immediately poached by South Carolina.  If the Commodores lose Byington after only two seasons, that will be extremely frustrating.

But these are two very different situations.  Fogler left for South Carolina in large part because Vandy didn't make much of an effort to keep him.  That decision effectively killed Vandy's basketball program for the next 15 years.  Byington just signed a new contract with Vandy, and the Administration has made clear that they intend to build a winning basketball program.  If he leaves, it won't be because Vandy didn't do its best, but because UNC represents a unique opportunity.  It will still hurt for Vandy fans, but at least they won't blame their own administration.

Byington Update

After going 26-8 and losing in the Final of the SEC Tournament to Arkansas, Vanderbilt was given a Five Seed and sent to Oklahoma City.  In the first round, the Commodores rolled past McNeese State by 78 to 68.  In the second round, they played a Nebraska team that had a record of 27-6, and whose fans had almost every seat in the gym.

Playing what was, for all intents and purposes, a road game, the Commodores made a splendid effort.  Down 39-32 at the half, they roared back and took a late lead.  But the Cornhuskers rallied to go up 74-72 with 3 seconds left in the game.  Tyler Tanner, Vandy's all-SEC point guard, tried a half court shot at the buzzer for the win.  His shot was on line the whole way, but it hit the back rim, then the front rim, and then it spun out.  Vandy was eliminated.

Vandy finished 27-9 overall, 11-7 in the SEC.  They take the runners-up trophy in the SEC Tournament, and a Second Round appearance in the NCAA's.  They are currently ranked 11 on Ken Pom, and 177 for luck.  If that Ken Pom ranking holds, it will be their highest final ranking on Ken Pom ever -- and his database goes back to 1997.

On the whole, a very successful season for Vandy.  If Coach Byington stays in Nashville, I think his future -- and that of the Commodores -- is very bright.

If the NCAA Used Regions

If each of the 16 Regions was won by the highest-ranked team on Ken Pom, and the regions were drawn in the same order as they are for this year's KHSAA Tournament, the NCAA's would look like this:

(26) Ohio St. v. (15) Arkansas

Arkansas survived a surprising challenge from Ole Miss with a 93-90 OT victory in the final.

(13) Virginia v. (5) Houston

(1) Duke v. (33) Villanova

(14) Nebraska v. (6) Iowa St.

Lots of drama here.  Nebraska beat Kansas for take what may be its first Regional Title ever.  Iowa State edged Illinois to take the 11th Region for the third year in a row.

(4) Florida v. (2) Arizona

The most important game in the first round.

(12) Vanderbilt v. (17) St. John's

Two hot teams.  Vandy beat Tennessee to win the Eighth Region for the first time since 1974, thus ending UT's three-year run as Regional Champs.  The folks at Memorial Gym in Nashville went berserk.  UK hasn't won the Eighth Region since 2022.  U of L hasn't won it since 2020.

(3) Michigan v. (10) Gonzaga

The 10th Region, which featured Michigan, Purdue, and Michigan St., was one of the strongest in the country.

(24) Saint Mary's v. (11) UConn

Byington Update

On December 21, 2025, Vandy beat Wake Forest -- on the road -- 98 to 67.  The win ran Vandy's record to 12-0 and pushed its ranking on Ken Pom all the way up to Number 8.   But Duke Miles, the Vanderbilt shooting guard, missed the next two games -- and still wasn't at 100 percent when SEC play resumed.  Miles finally missed six games in a row between January 27 and February 18, and did not play more than 30 minutes in any game until Vandy's overtime win at Ole Miss on March 3.  That game, which Vandy won 89-86, was Miles's first appearance with more than 30 minutes since January 17.  But yesterday, in the SEC quarter-finals against Tennessee, Miles carried the Commodores to victory with 30 points.  It was his sixth MVP award of the season from Ken Pom, but his first since December 17.

The one good thing about Miles's absence was that it allowed Tyler Tanner, Vandy's sophomore point guard, to become a start.  According to Ken Pom, Tanner was the most valuable player in the SEC, and he kept Vandy afloat through a very long and difficult stretch of SEC play where the Dores did not have all their weapons.

Vandy had also been in a shooting slump of late.  As a team, Vandy makes 35.4 percent from 3-point range.  But they went 7-28 (25.0 percent) in a loss at Lexington on February 28, then 9-32 (28.1 percent) in a win at Ole Miss, 5-10 (50.0 percent) in a win at Knoxville, and 7-27 (25.9 percent) in a win over UT in the SEC quarter-finals.  For those four games, in other words, the Dores went 28-97 (28.9 percent) from three-point range -- well below their average.  They were due to get hot.

And today, they did.  With Miles back at full strength today (33 minutes, 15 points, 7 assists), Tanner looking like an NBA player (20 points, 8 assists, 3 steals, only 1 turnover), and the Dores finally hitting from the outside (10-21, 47.6 percent), Vanderbilt blew the Florida Gators off the court.  Coming into this game, Florida was on a 12-game winning streak.  The Gators had zoomed up to number 4 on both Ken Pom and the AP rankings.  They were 26-6, with all six losses coming by nine points or less.  At almost no point in any game all year had they been far behind.  All that ended today.  Vandy was up 47-34 at the half -- and then built the lead to 76-51 (!) with 8:11 left in the game, before cruising home with a surprisingly easy 91 to 74 win.  Vandy advances to the SEC finals for only the second time since the tournament was restarted in 1979 -- and the first time since the Dores won the tournament in 2012.

Florida fans will remember that Kentucky lost to Vandy in the final of that 2012 tournament -- and then regrouped to win the NCAA's.  And I believe that Florida will be a very tough out in the big tournament.  The Gators controlled a very physical slugfest with Kentucky yesterday, and I'm not sure anyone can beat Vandy when they are as hot as they were today.  This loss will help the Gators focus and prepare for next week, even if it costs them a Number One seed.

But meanwhile, today belongs to Vanderbilt, which captured one of the greatest wins in its history.  If the Commodores retain the services of Coach Mark Byington, the 49-year-old wizard who has gotten them this far in only two years, they should be formidable for many years to come.  Vandy has always been a sleeping giant of basketball -- they have money, a great school, a great conference, and the best gymnasium in college sports.  But they've never been willing to do what was needed to hire -- and retain -- a top-notch coach.  Byington now appears to be that coach, and we'll see if Vandy keeps him.

Pope Update

For the fourth year in a row, Kentucky is eliminated on Friday in the SEC quarter-finals.  The Cats tried hard, and I'm sure they did their best, but they just aren't in Florida's league.  No one can shoot in Bridgestone Arena -- and that includes the Gators, who were 3-20 from three-point range.  But as the smaller and less physical team, UK needed to make outside shots, and the Cats went 5-23 from behind the arc, even after two games of practice.  UK's poor outside shooting sank the Cats, as they were utterly dominated inside.  The Gators outrebounded UK 50 to 29, and the Gators took 33 free throws to only 20 for UK.

The Cats will go into the NCAA Tournament with a record of 0-3 against Florida, and 21-10 against everyone else, for an overall record of 21-13.  The Cats went 12-9 against SEC opponents this year, or 12-6 against SEC opponents not named Florida.  The Cats are 28 on Ken Pom, and 233 in Luck.  They will have a struggle to reach the Second Round of the NC2A's.

From the outside, it appears that UK has had a wacky season this year, with all sorts of ups and downs.  But that's not really true.  After Alabama beat UK on January 3, the Cats fell to 25 on Ken Pom.  Since that time, they have never been higher than 24 (after they beat Tennessee on the road), and they have never been lower than 33 (after they were blown out at Vandy).  They are, and have been for the last two months, a team that should go to the NCAA Tournament, but should not be ranked by the AP.

The only reason anyone was ever confused about UK's status is because, for reasons that I have never understood, they began the season ranked very high.  And here, I think, it's fair to complain about the press.  I have watched a lot of college basketball this year -- it's been one of the best seasons in many years, and there are a number of great teams.  There is simply no way that anyone who has seen Duke, or Michigan, or Florida, or Purdue, or Houston, or Arizona, or Illinois, or UConn, could pretend that UK was at the same level as those teams.  And the injuries make very little difference to these facts.  UK simply wasn't a significantly better team even with all its parts.  I have no idea why so many commentators pretended that guys like Otega Oweh and Denzel Aberdeen were better than they are.

UPDATE:  In the second quarterfinal, Vanderbilt defeated Tennessee 75 to 68.  So Vandy takes two out of three from the Vols.  On this basis, I am going to award Vanderbilt the championship of the Eighth Region.  It is the first time since 1974 that the Commodores have captured that title.  Vandy moves to 25-7 on the year, 13 on Ken Pom, and 120 in Luck.  Tennessee is 22-11 on the year, 15 on Ken Pom, and 322 in luck.  This year Tennessee had a four-point loss (at home) to Kentucky, a three-point loss (on the road) to Kentucky, a two-point loss (at home) to Alabama, a four-point loss (at home) to Vandy, and now another loss to Vandy.

Ken Pom believes that Florida will beat Vanderbilt in the semi-finals tomorrow by a score of 83 to 77.

Classic SEC Rankings

Rankings of the Classic SEC from Ken Pom:

4.  Florida:  25-6

13.  Vanderbilt:  24-7

14.  Tennessee:  21-10

15.  Alabama:  23-8

27.  Kentucky:  19-12

31.  Georgia:  22-9

39.  Auburn:  16-15

62.  Louisiana St:  15-16

81.  Mississippi:  12-19

100.  Mississippi St:  13-18

If the Classic SEC had its own tournament, these rankings would lead to the following quarter-finals:

Florida v. Louisiana St. or Mississippi

Alabama v. Kentucky

Vanderbilt v. Auburn or Mississippi St.

Tennessee v. Georgia

Pope Update

UK was flattened at home on Senior Day by the dominant team in the SEC, Florida.  The Gators jumped out to an 11-0 lead and were never challenged.  They led by 17 at the half, but eased up down the stretch, allowing UK to make the final score a less embarrassing 84 to 77.  The Cats finish with a record of 10-8 in the SEC and 19-12 overall.  They are ranked 27 on Ken Pom, and in SEC play they outscored their opponents by 10 points:  1,414 to 1,404.  They played 80 minutes of basketball against Florida, and never held the lead.  They will be seeded 9th in the SEC Tournament, where they will play LSU on Wednesday.  I believe that this will be the lowest seed UK has ever had in the SEC Tournament.  And yet, they will probably still get into the NCAA Tournament -- which means that Mark Pope is coming back for another year.  So, from the perspective of the UK Athletics Department, it's been an almost perfect season.

Credit to Vandy, which went to Knoxville on the last day of the season and beat Tennessee 86 to 82.  Vandy is ranked 13 on Ken Pom.  In the entire Ken Pom database -- going back to 1997 -- the highest Vandy has ever finished is 16 -- which was their mark in 2012.  I think Todd Golden or Mark Byington should be the SEC Coach of the Year.

According to Ken Pom, Vandy's point guard -- a sophomore named Tyler Tanner -- was the best player in the SEC this year.  I agree with that.  Here's Ken-Pom's all-conference team:

1.  Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt (sophomore)

2.  Darius Acuff, Arkansas (freshman)

3.  Alex Condon, Florida (junior)

4.  Labaron Philon, Alabama (sophomore)

5.  Thomas Haugh, Florida (junior)

The last Kentucky player to make Ken-Pom's all-conference team was Oscar Tshiebwe in 2023.

Here are the final standings, along with each team's seed in the SEC Tournament:

1.  Florida:  16-2

2.  Alabama:  13-5

3.  Arkansas:  13-5

4.  Vanderbilt:  11-7

5.  Tennessee:  11-7

6.  Texas A & M:  11-7

7.  Georgia:  10-8

8.  Missouri:  10-8

9.  Kentucky:  10-8

10.  Texas:  9-9

11.  Oklahoma:  7-11

12.  Auburn:  7-11

13.  Mississippi St:  5-13

14.  S. Carolina:  4-12

15.  Mississippi:  4-12

16.  Louisiana St:  3-15

Ken Pom has UK beating LSU 79 to 74, but there's a 31 percent chance the Tigers will pull the upset.  That would be awkward for the Powers That Be in Lexington, but it would be unlikely to change their minds.

Pope Update

Huge win for Pope on Saturday, as the Cats blew out Vandy 91 to 77.  The Cats shot the lights out in Rupp, going 11-22 (!) from three-point range, while Vandy could only manage 7-28.  Collin Chandler made 6-8 (!) threes, and finished with a career-high 23 points.

The Cats run their record to 10-6 in the SEC and 19-10 overall, and I think they are finally a safe bet to make the NCAA Tournament.  They also jumped up to Number 25 on Ken Pom -- their highest ranking on that service since January 24.  They have two games left.  On Tuesday, they are at Texas A & M.  The Aggies are ranked 38 on Ken Pom, and have lost six of their last eight.  But this is Senior Night for the Aggies, the Cats never play well in College Station, and the Aggies (who are 9-7 in the SEC) really have to win this game.  So that will be an extremely tough matchup for the Big Blue.

UK's last game of the season is home to Florida, which may now be the best team in the country.  On Saturday, Florida humiliated Coach Cal and Arkansas, 111 to 77.  It's really hard to see UK winning that game.

Ken Pom gives UK a 46 percent chance against A & M, and a 30 percent chance against Florida.

Here are the SEC standings after 16 games:

Florida:  14-2

Alabama:  12-4

Arkansas:  11-5

Tennessee: 10-6

Kentucky:  10-6

Missouri:  10-6

Vanderbilt:  9-7

Texas:  9-7

Texas A & M:  9-7

Georgia:  8-8

Auburn:  6-10

Oklahoma:  5-11

Mississippi St:  5-11

Mississippi:  4-12

Louisiana St:  3-13

S. Carolina:  3-13

Here are the Classic SEC rankings according to Ken Pom:

4.  Florida:  23-6

14.  Vanderbilt:  22-7

15.  Alabama:  22-7

18.  Tennessee:  20-9

25.  Kentucky:  19-10

33.  Georgia:  20-9

40.  Auburn:  15-14

58.  Louisiana St:  15-14

79.  Mississippi:  12-17

96.  Mississippi St:  13-16

Huge Day for College Basketball

Two huge games today (AP rankings in parentheses):

2 P.M. Central:  (2) Houston v. (4) Arizona

5:30 P.M. Central:  (3) Duke v. (1) Michigan (in Washington, D.C.)

I can't remember another day where the four teams in the AP Top Four were all playing each other.

In Houston, the Cougars lead Arizona 44 to 42 with 14:04 left in the second half.

Meanwhile, in Nashville, Tennessee picked up a huge road win over Vanderbilt, beating the Commodores 69 to 65.  UT now leads the all-time series 133-77.  Rick Barnes owns Vandy:  the Vols have won 15 of the last 17 in the series.

After its January 10 win over LSU, Vandy was 3-0 in the SEC and 16-0 overall.  They were also up to Number 5 on Ken Pom.  But since that time, they have gone 5-6, with heartbreaking losses at home to Florida (98-94), Oklahoma (92-91), and now UT (69-65).  The Dores are now down to 13 on Ken Pom, and 199 in luck.  But more importantly, they are only 8-6 in the SEC, and they still have to play Kentucky, Ole Miss, and Tennessee on the road.  Ken Pom thinks they will finish 10-8 in the SEC, and 23-8 overall.  That probably means that they will need to pull a big upset to reach the semi-final of the SEC Tournament, or the Regional Semi-Finals of the NCAA Tournament.  At the end of the day, Vandy has some really good guards, but their front line just isn't physical enough to play at a high level against Top 20 teams.  Going forward, Coach Byington -- who has still had a great year -- will need to go out and get some bigger dudes.

Meanwhile, Kansas got thumped at home by Cincinnati, 84 to 68.  We've always said you don't want to leave it late and close in the Phog, and the Bearcats did not.  Cincinnati has suddenly won four straight in the Big XII.  They are 7-7 in conference and 15-12 overall, and up to 46 on Ken Pom.  KU falls to 10-4 in conference, 20-7 overall, and 19 on Ken Pom.  Their next two games are home to Houston, and on the road at Arizona.

Florida goes to Oxford and hammers Ole Miss, 94 to 75.  The Gators are now 12-2 in the SEC, 21-6 overall.  They are on a massive roll, and they will be very tough to beat in both the SEC tournament and the NCAA Tournament.  Their next two games are at a very hot Texas team, and then home to Arkansas.

St. John's won its 13th game in a row, beating Creighton 81-52 in the Garden.  The Johnnies are now 15-1 in the Big East and 22-5 overall.  They have a huge game at UConn on Wednesday night.

It's shaping up to be another great Tournament -- just like last year.  College basketball looks the best I can remember since the 1990's.

We are not going to have a fluke champion this year.  The winner will be one of these teams:  Michigan, Arizona, Duke, Houston, Florida, or UConn.

Basketball on Tuesday in February

UK is on bye this week, as they prepare for a very difficult trip to Gainesville against the National Champions.  But the games continue.  Vanderbilt -- which has not recovered from the loss of Duke Miles -- is in Auburn to play the Tigers, who have not recovered from the loss of Bruce Pearl.  A Vandy loss will drop the Commodores to 6-5 in the SEC; an Auburn loss would drop the Tigers to 5-6.  Auburn's at home, and it's really hard to see them losing a must-win game at home.  But if you had told me in December, that after 11 games, Vandy would be two games behind UK, I would not have believed you.

For the record, Auburn v. Vandy is the top-rated game on Ken Pom for today.  The top four games tonight all tipped off at 6 P.M. Central:

Auburn v. Vanderbilt

Nebraska v. Purdue

Baylor v. B.Y.U.

Miami (Fla.) v. N. Carolina

UPDATE:  Here's how those games ended:

Auburn 76 - 84 Vanderbilt

Nebraska 77 - 80 Purdue (OT)

Baylor 94 - 99 B.Y.U.

Miami (Fla.) 75 - 66 N. Carolina

That's a huge win for the Dores, who bounce back from a disappointing loss at home to Oklahoma last Saturday.  Vandy is now 7-4 in the SEC and 20-4 overall.  Ken Pom says that Tyler Tanner is the best player in the SEC, and he looked like it tonight.

Oh, and here's the top of the medal count:

1.  Norway:  12 (6-2-4)

2.  Italy:  11 (2-2-7)

3.  Japan:  8 (2-2-4)

4.  United States:  7 (2-3-2)

T5.  Germany:  6 (3-2-1)

T5.  Sweden:  6 (3-2-1)

7.  Switzerland:  5 (3-1-1)

8.  Austria:  5 (2-3-0)

9.  France:  3 (1-2-0)

10.  Canada:  3 (0-1-2)

Pope Update

Cats were hammered last night in Memorial Gymnasium.  Even without Duke Miles, its second-best player, Vandy blew the doors off UK.  The Commodores were up 43-23 at the half, and then trotted home as easy winners by the score of 80 to 55.

Cats fall to 5-3 in the SEC and 14-7 overall.  They are down to 32 on Ken Pom, who has UK as underdogs in six of their remaining ten games (games where the Cats are favored in bold):

at Arkansas (27 percent chance of a UK victory)

OKLAHOMA (78 percent)

TENNESSEE (53 percent)

at Florida (21 percent)

GEORGIA (64 percent)

at Auburn (33 percent)

at S. Carolina (61 percent)

VANDERBILT (42 percent)

at Texas A & M (39 percent)

FLORIDA (41 percent)

But my guess is that these calculations will change after Saturday.  Ken Pom has Arkansas beating UK by 84 to 78, and I don't think the game will be that close.  So the Cats will likely fall further in the rankings, which would lower their chances in the remaining games.

Here's my prediction.  If Kentucky finishes 9-9 or below in the SEC, I do not think they will be in the NCAA Tournament.  And that will have a huge impact on what happens next in Lexington.  So every one of these games really matters.

At this point in 2009, the Cats were 5-1 in the SEC and 16-5 overall.  At that point, it looked as though Billy Gillespie was likely to make the tournament and survive for another year.  He already had road wins over Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama.  But the roof fell in after that.  UK went 3-7 in its last ten games, ending the regular season on a four-game losing streak.  They finished 8-8 in the SEC, and 19-12 overall.  They missed the NCAA Tournament, and Gillespie was fired only one season after being named as co-SEC Coach of the Year for the 2007-08 season.

Assuming that Florida beats South Carolina in the last midweek game, the top of the SEC will look like this:

Texas A & M:  6-1

Florida:  6-2

Arkansas:  6-2

Vanderbilt:  5-3

Auburn:  5-3

Kentucky:  5-3

Alabama:  4-3

Tennessee:  4-3

Seven of UK's last ten games are against teams on that list.

Pope Update

Cats won their fourth game in a row in Lexington on Wednesday night, beating the Texas Longhorns 85 to 80.  However, they lost Kam Williams, who suffered a broken foot.  Personally, I thought UK was better off without Jaland Lowe and Jayden Quaintance, because those guys were not healthy enough to contribute in a positive way.  And sure enough, the Cats have been better without those guys.  But losing Williams will hurt their depth.

The Cats play Ole Miss at home this weekend, and then they go to Vanderbilt (Jan 27) and Arkansas (Jan 31).  After they play Arkansas, they will be halfway through the SEC regular season.

Here are the current Ken Pom rankings for the Classic SEC.  The rankings are pretty stable except for Vandy, who is falling rapidly:

10.  Florida:  14-5

15.  Vanderbilt:  16-3

18.  Alabama:  13-5

23.  Tennessee:  12-6

25.  Kentucky:  13-6

26.  Georgia:  16-3

30.  Auburn:  12-7

42.  Louisiana St:  13-6

68.  Mississippi:  11-8

85.  Mississippi St:  10-9

Here are the Classic Southwest rankings:

4.  Houston:  17-1

19.  Texas Tech:  15-4

21.  Arkansas:  14-5

31.  So. Methodist:  14-5

36.  Texas A & M:  15-4

41.  Texas:  11-8

48.  Baylor:  11-7

52.  Texas Christian:  12-7

241.  Rice:  8-11

Classic ACC rankings:

3.  Duke:  17-1

13.  Virginia:  16-2

27.  N. Carolina St:  13-6

28.  Clemson:  16-4

33.  N. Carolina:  15-4

70.  Wake Forest:  11-8

72.  S. Carolina:  11-8

115.  Maryland:  8-11

Classic Big Ten rankings:

1.  Michigan:  17-1

6.  Purdue:  17-2

8.  Illinois:  16-3

9.  Michigan St:  17-2

20.  Iowa:  14-5

35.  Wisconsin:  14-5

36.  Ohio St:  13-5

38.  Indiana:  12-7

61.  Northwestern:  9-10

82.  Minnesota:  10-9

Pope Update

Down in Knoxville, the Cats promptly fell behind early, and trailed by 17 points (24-41) late in the first half.  Once again, however, they came storming back, this time behind 22 points from Denzel Aberdeen -- not to mention four huge three-pointers from Collin Chandler.  Still, UK trailed 77-76 with only about 50 seconds left -- but a steal by Chandler set up a fast break to put the Cats into the lead, and they hung on for an enormous 80-78 win.  Not surprisingly, the game ended with a brawl -- but that's par for the course when UK wins in Knoxville.  Amazingly, however, the win means that the Cats have won six of their last seven meetings with UT in Knoxville, including two wins in a row for Mark Pope:

01/17/26:  Tennessee 78 - 80 Kentucky

01/28/25:  Tennessee 73 - 78 Kentucky

03/09/24:  Tennessee 81 - 85 Kentucky (Cal's final win as UK coach)

01/14/23:  Tennessee 56 - 63 Kentucky

02/14/22:  Tennessee 76 - 63 Kentucky

02/20/21:  Tennessee 55 - 70 Kentucky

02/08/20:  Tennessee 64 - 77 Kentucky

UK's four-game winning streak in Knoxville is the Cats' longest since UK won four straight games in Knoxville between 2002 and 2005 (thank you Chuck Hayes).

The Cats are now 3-2 in the SEC, 12-6 overall, and Number 27 on Ken Pom.  The Cats' second consecutive nail-biting win moves them up to Number 243 in luck.  Pomeroy now projects the Cats to finish 10-8 in the SEC and 19-12 overall.  That record would probably get them in the NCAA Tournament.  Next week the Cats host Texas and Ole Miss.

Meanwhile, in Nashville, Vandy hosted Florida in a battle for first place.  The Commodores have been very good in close games, and Florida has been poor.  Ken Pomeroy calls this difference "luck," and says that it should even out over time.  Vandy and Florida made Pomeroy look good today.  They had Doug Shows as one of the officials, and the Commodores and the Gators played a Doug Shows special, with the teams combining for 52 free throws.  But Duke Miles, Vandy's best player, fouled out late, and the Gators pulled out a 98-94 victory.  Florida moves to 4-1 in the SEC, 13-5 overall, and 9 on Ken Pom.  They also moved up to 343 in luck.  Meanwhile, Vandy fell to 3-2 in the SEC, 16-2 overall, and 11 on Ken Pom.  They fell to 126 in luck.

In Athens, Georgia pasted Arkansas 90-76.  So the Razorbacks are now 3-2 in the SEC, 13-5 overall, and 26 on Ken Pom.

One final game of note.  In Murray, Kentucky, the Murray State Racers beat Indiana State 85-81 for their 12th win in a row -- the sixth longest active streak in the country.  The Racers are 8-0 in the Valley, 16-3 overall, and 88 on Ken Pom.

Here are the Classic SEC standings:

9.  Florida:  13-5

12.  Vanderbilt:  16-2

17.  Alabama:  13-5

22.  Tennessee:  12-6

24.  Kentucky:  12-6

28.  Georgia:  15-3

35.  Auburn:  11-7

44.  Louisiana St:  13-5

59.  Mississippi:  11-7

83.  Mississippi St:  10-8

Pope Update

Wild night in the SEC last night.  The Cats were down 40-22 in Baton Rouge early in the second half, and then roared back to win 75-74 on a buzzer beater by Malachi Moreno.  The Cats are now 2-2 in the SEC, 11-6 overall, and 27 on Ken Pom.  They finally got some luck, so they're up to 295 in that category.  Meanwhile, LSU falls to 0-4 in the SEC, which means that coach Matt McMahon, who took Murray State to the NCAA Tournament in 2018, 2019, and 2022, is at risk of missing the NCAA's in all four of his seasons at LSU.

Meanwhile, Vandy got crushed down at Texas, 80 to 64.  The previously undefeated Commodores were overwhelmed by the more physical Longhorns.  Vandy's record falls to 3-1 in the SEC, 16-1 overall, and 11 on Ken Pom.  They are 68 in luck.

The cream of the SEC appears to be Florida, who have won three games in a row by impressive margins:  92-77 at home against Georgia, 91-67 at home against Tennessee, and 96-79 at Oklahoma.  The Gators are now 3-1 in the SEC, 12-5 overall, and 10 on Ken Pom.  Each of their five losses is by six points are less, which is why they rank 357 in luck.  Interestingly, Florida will be coming to Vandy on Saturday, so that should be fun.

Here are the classic SEC standings:

10.  Florida:  12-5

11.  Vanderbilt:  16-1

16.  Alabama:  12-5

19.  Tennessee:  12-5

27.  Kentucky:  11-6

32.  Georgia:  14-3

34.  Auburn:  10-7

45.  Louisiana St:  12-5

59.  Mississippi:  10-7

78.  Mississippi St:  10-7

Classic SEC Basketball Standings

Ken Pom ranks the members of the Classic SEC as follows:

5.  Vanderbilt:  14-0

13.  Alabama:  11-3

14.  Florida:  9-5

16.  Tennessee:  10-4

25.  Kentucky:  9-5

26.  Georgia:  13-1

34.  Auburn:  9-5

37.  Louisiana St:  12-2

70.  Mississippi:  8-6

76.  Mississippi St:  9-5

Here's the Classic ACC:

9.  Duke:  13-1

19.  Virginia:  12-2

27.  N. Carolina:  13-2

31.  N. Carolina St:  10-5

35.  Clemson:  12-3

61.  Wake Forest:  10-5

88.  S. Carolina:  9-5

109.  Maryland:  7-7

Here's the Classic Big 10:

1.  Michigan:  13-0

4.  Purdue:  13-1

8.  Illinois:  11-3

15.  Michigan St:  12-2

17.  Iowa:  12-2

28.  Indiana:  10-3

39.  Ohio St:  10-3

45.  Wisconsin:  9-5

62.  Northwestern:  8-6

94.  Minnesota:  9-5

Here's the Classic Big 8:

3.  Iowa St:  14-0

18.  Kansas:  10-4

22. Nebraska:  14-0

48.  Oklahoma:  11-3

60.  Missouri:  11-3

67.  Oklahoma St:  12-2

74.  Kansas St:  9-5

81.  Colorado:  11-3

Here's the Classic Southwest:

11.  Houston:  13-1

20.  Texas Tech:  11-3

23.  Arkansas:  11-3

32.  Southern Methodist:  12-2

33.  Baylor:  10-3

47.  Texas A & M:  11-3

52.  Texas:  9-5

53.  Texas Christian:  11-3

252.  Rice:  6-9

And here's the Classic Pac 10:

2.  Arizona:  14-0

36.  U.C.L.A.:  10-4

40.  U.S.C.:  12-2

49.  Washington:  9-4

69.  Oregon:  8-6

75.  California:  13-2

82.  Stanford:  12-3

85.  Arizona St:  9-5

154.  Washington St:  7-9

207.  Oregon St:  8-8

S. Carolina 71 - 83 Vanderbilt (Final)

Vandy opens SEC play on the road without its best player (Duke Miles) and rolls to an 83-71 victory.  Ken Pom had them winning 83-72 at full strength, so that's another impressive performance for the Dores, who are now 1-0 in the SEC and 14-0 overall.  They will host Alabama on Wednesday Night, and that will be a humdinger.  Keep an eye on Tyler Tanner, the Vandy point guard, who torched the Gamecocks for 19 points and 14 assists.  He also went 10-10 from the line.

Kentucky 78 - 66 St. John's (Atlanta) (No. 2,430)

Yesterday, for the first time all year, Jayden Quaintance took the floor for the Kentucky Wildcats.  In 18 minutes, he had 10 points and 8 rebounds.  Meanwhile, Jaland Lowe -- who has been injured most of the year -- had 13 points in only 15 minutes.  Together, they helped UK beat St. John's 78 to 66 in the CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta.  (St. John's stepped in for U.C.L.A., who usually participates in this event.)

The Cats still can't shoot -- they were 4-16 from 3-point range, and they are now shooting only 31.8 percent behind the arc for the year.  And they trailed 32-25 at the half.  But just as they did against Indiana, they used their superior athleticism to dominate on defense in the second half.  After the intermission, UK outscored the Johnnies 53-34.  It's not pretty basketball, but it can be very effective.

The Cats are now 8-4 overall, and 18 on Ken Pom.  Pomeroy still thinks the Cats are going 19-12 overall and 10-8 in the SEC.

Today, Vandy went to Wake Forest and obliterated the Deacons, 98 to 67.  The Commodores were only 6-31 from three-point range at Memphis on Wednesday, and they struggled to pull that game out in overtime.  But today, the shots were dropping:  Vandy went 16-32 from behind the arc, with Tyler Nickel making 8-10.  And when Vandy shoots like that, they can be dominant.  They were dominant today -- Ken Pom thought they would win by five, and instead they won by 31.

So Vandy is now 12-0 overall, and 7 on Ken Pom.  Pomeroy thinks the Commodores are going 26-5 overall and 13-5 in the SEC.

Let's check in on two other teams of interest:

Murray State is 9-3 overall, 1-0 in the Missouri Valley, and 92 on Ken Pom.  Pomeroy has them going 21-10 overall and 13-7 in the Valley.  It looks like their strongest foe in the Valley will be Belmont, who is ranked 64th on Ken Pom.

Western Kentucky 7-4 overall and 147 on Ken Pom after losing an 82-81 heartbreaker at home against Tulsa.  Pomeroy has the Hilltoppers going 19-12 overall and 12-8 in Conference USA.  Pomeroy says that Liberty (Number 103) is the strongest team in the C-USA.

Here's the current top 20 on Ken Pom (luck scores in parentheses):

1.  Michigan:  10-0 (117)

2.  Arizona:  11-0 (124)

3.  Iowa St:  11-0 (91)

4.  Gonzaga:  11-1 (45)

5.  Purdue:  11-1 (79)

6.  Duke:  11-1 (116)

7.  Vanderbilt:  12-0 (109)

8.  Connecticut:  11-1 (72)

9.  Houston:  11-1 (99)

10.  B.Y.U.:  11-1 (138)

11.  Florida:  8-4 (349)

12.  Illinois:  8-3 (274)

13.  Michigan St:  11-1 (174)

14.  Louisville:  10-2 (164)

15.  Tennessee:  8-3 (325)

16.  Alabama:  8-3 (161)

17.  Kansas:  9-3 (168)

18.  Kentucky:  8-4 (306)

19.  Iowa:  10-2 (191)

20.  St. John's:  7-4 (338)

Arkansas is 9-3, with a luck score of 216 and a Ken Pom ranking of 27.

Classic Conferences -- Men's Basketball

Here's how Ken Pom ranks the Classic SEC.  (Kentucky fans may want to screenshot this -- it could be a while before UK is in the top 20 again):

8.  Vanderbilt:  9-0

13.  Alabama:  7-2

14.  Florida:  5-3

18.  Tennessee:  7-3

20.  Kentucky:  5-4

23.  Georgia:  8-1

29.  Auburn:  7-3

40.  Louisiana St:  8-1

53.  Mississippi:  5-4

83.  Mississippi St:  4-5

138.  Georgia Tech:  6-4

188.  Tulane:  6-3

Here's the Classic ACC:

 4.  Duke:  10-0

21.  Virginia:  8-2

22.  N. Carolina:  8-1

25.  Clemson:  7-2

37.  N. Carolina St:  6-3

46.  Wake Forest:  7-3

86.  S. Carolina:  6-3

99.  Maryland:  6-4

The Classic Missouri Valley:

15.  Louisville:  8-1

43.  Saint Louis:  8-1

67.  Memphis St:  4-4

76.  Cincinnati:  6-3

81.  Tulsa:  8-1

88.  Wichita St:  6-4

122.  Bradley:  6-4

127.  Drake:  6-4

136.  N. Texas:  7-3

And, the Classic Ohio Valley:

111.  Murray St:  7-3

134.  W. Kentucky:  6-2

152.  Mid. Tenn. St:  5-4

193.  Austin Peay:  4-5

260.  Tennessee Tech:  4-6

273.  E. Kentucky:  2-7

323.  Morehead St:  3-7

Classic SEC Standings

The 2025 college football regular season has ended.  Here is how CBS ranks the 12 members of the Classic SEC:

4.  Georgia:  11-1

7.  Mississippi:  11-1

10.  Alabama:  10-2

13.  Vanderbilt:  10-2

22.  Tulane:  10-2

23.  Georgia Tech:  9-3

25.  Tennessee:  8-4

50.  Louisiana St:  7-5

63.  Auburn:  5-7

66.  Mississippi St:  5-7

69.  Kentucky:  5-7

70.  Florida:  4-8

Here are my awards:

Coach of the Year:  Clark Lea, Vanderbilt

Player of the Year:  Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt

Game of the Year:  Alabama's 24-21 victory over Georgia in Athens on September 27.

Next season, Ole Miss, Tulane, LSU, Auburn, Kentucky, and Florida -- 6 of the 12 teams listed above -- will all have different coaches than they had this season.

Western Kentucky finishes 8-4 with a rank of Number 74.