Despite rebooting the roster, Kentucky’s in AP’s top 10 to start season

As is typical during the John Calipari era, Kentucky is long on talent and short on experience.

Yet that didn’t keep the Cats from starting the season at No. 10 in the Associated Press’ preseason Top 25 poll.

Gonzaga opens as the No. 1-ranked team for the first time in program history. Baylor, Villanova, Virginia and Iowa round out the top five. Kentucky will take on No. 6 Kansas on Dec. 1 in the Champions Classic. Wisconsin, Illinois, Duke and the Cats complete the top 10.

The Bulldogs received 28 first-place votes, just slightly ahead of Baylor’s 24. Villanova (11), and Virginia (1) also appeared at the top of voters’ ballots.

UK Athletics said this is Calipari’s most inexperienced team during his time in Lexington. And the numbers back that up.

Kentucky is coming off a 25-6 season that culminated in its 49th regular-season SEC championship, the Wildcats’ sixth under Calipari.

The Cats will have to replace 94 percent of their scoring from last season — the most of the Calipari era — 92.4 percent of their minutes, 84.4 percent of their rebounds, 98.6 percent of their assists and 91.5 percent of their blocks.

UK said farewell to eight of its top nine scorers from a season ago, including all five starters. The lone major returning contributor from last season will be sophomore forward Keion Brooks, who averaged 4.5 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.

Calipari said last week that his team’s schedule is tough, and there might be a few early losses.

“We will have to learn to fail fast,” he said. “I’m confident what we’ve put together will prepare us to make a run at the end of the season.”

UK’s eight-man freshman class features six consensus five- and four-star prospects, including top-10 signees Brandon Boston and Terrence Clarke. The Wildcats also signed Wake Forest transfer Olivier Sarr, Creighton graduate transfer Davion Mintz and Rhode Island transfer Jacob Toppin. Sarr and Toppin were ruled immediately eligible last month.

Four Kentucky opponents enter the 2020-21 season ranked in the AP Top 25, including three nonconference opponents. In addition to Kansas at No. 6, there’s Texas (No. 19) and UCLA (No. 22). Louisville and Richmond sit just outside of the Top 25 and are receiving votes to begin the season.

Tennessee, at No. 12, is the only other Southeastern Conference program included in the preseason Top 25 to begin the season. Four more teams received votes: LSU, Florida, Alabama and Auburn.

AP Top 25

Others receiving votes: LSU 146, Memphis 69, Florida 69, Alabama 50, Indiana 48, Louisville 41, Richmond 40, Stanford 14, Providence 9, Saint Louis 8, Auburn 8, San Diego State 6, Connecticut 6, Brigham Young 4, Loyola (Ill.) 3, Seton Hall 2, UNC Greensboro 1, UNI 1.