Blue Ribbon has Kentucky at No. 5 in preseason basketball rankings
The “Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook” has Kentucky as the No. 5 team in the country, according to it’s preseason rankings announced Monday in conjunction with the release of it’s annual edition.
Arizona comes in as the No. 1 team, followed by Michigan State, Duke and Kansas.
Louisville is ranked sixth, one spot behind Kentucky.
“This was a close one,” Blue Ribbon editor and publisher Chris Dortch said in a story on its website. “Both Arizona and Michigan State were worthy No. 1 candidates, and a strong case could have been made for Duke and Kansas, too. But in the final analysis, our writers and editors liked the size and experience Arizona can put on the floor.”
Blue Ribbon picked UK freshman Hamidou Diallo as a fourth-team preseason all-American.
The 37th edition of the yearbook is available to order online in print or for a tablet at Blueribbonyearbook.com.
Blue-White Game tickets
Tickets for UK’s Blue-White Game will go on sale on Monday, Sept. 25, at 5 p.m. The preseason exhibition is scheduled for 7 p.m. Oct. 20 in Rupp Arena. The game will be shown on the SEC Network.
Jared Peck: 859-231-1333, @ItSaysHere
“BLUE RIBBON COLLEGE BASKETBALL YEARBOOK” PRESEASON TOP 25
1. Arizona
2. Michigan State
3. Duke
4. Kansas
5. Kentucky
6. Louisville
7. Wichita State
8. Florida
9. West Virginia
10. North Carolina
11. USC
12. Villanova
13. Cincinnati
14. Purdue
15. Seton Hall
16. Miami
17. Saint Mary’s
18. Minnesota
19. Notre Dame
20. Gonzaga
21. Xavier
22. UCLA
23. Northwestern
24. Alabama
25. Virginia Tech
Blue-White Game tickets
What: UK’s annual preseason scrimmage
When: 7 p.m. Oct. 20
Tickets: Go on sale at 5 p.m. Monday at Ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000. Based on availability after Monday evening’s on-sale, tickets will also be available beginning Tuesday through the Rupp Arena Box Office (859-233-3535) between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. The cost of the tickets will be $10 (lower level) and $5 (200 level). All public seating is reserved.
Students: Beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, UK students may claim up to two free eRUPPtion Zone tickets for the Blue-White Game, while supplies last. Student tickets must be claimed in person at the Joe Craft Center ticket office with a valid UK student ID.
This story was originally published September 19, 2017 at 10:59 AM with the headline "Blue Ribbon has Kentucky at No. 5 in preseason basketball rankings."