Kentucky jumped four spots to No. 9 in the updated USA Today Coaches Poll, released Monday. The Wildcats ended the regular season with wins over Vanderbilt and Tennessee to earn the No. 2 overall seed and a double bye in the SEC Tournament this week.
Winners of seven of its last eight games since losing to Gonzaga on Feb. 10, Kentucky has enjoyed a stretch of impressive performances that include wins over Auburn, Mississippi State and Tennessee on the road, along with a 117-95 win over reigning SEC Tournament champion Alabama at home. The Wildcats are seeking their first conference championship since 2018.
Arizona was another notable mover in the poll. The Wildcats dropped two spots to No. 7 after a loss to USC over the weekend. However, Arizona clinched the Pac-12 regular-season title last week with a win over UCLA. Tennessee also fell in the poll, dropping one spot to No. 5 after losing to Kentucky at home.
Nevada entered the poll for the first time this season and checked in at No. 22. Texas Tech (No. 23) and Dayton (No. 24) returned after a brief absence. You can view the entire poll below. First-place votes in parentheses.
Coaches Poll
- Houston (29)
- UConn
- Purdue (2)
- North Carolina
- Tennessee
- Creighton
- Arizona
- Iowa State
- Kentucky
- Marquette
- Duke
- Auburn
- Baylor
- Illinois
- Gonzaga
- South Carolina
- Kansas
- Utah State
- Alabama
- Saint Mary's
- BYU
- Nevada
- Texas Tech
- Dayton
- Washington State
Others receiving votes: Boise State 30; San Diego State 19; James Madison 19; Florida 17; Drake 15; South Florida 11; Nebraska 7; Oklahoma 6; Florida Atlantic 6; Colorado 3; Princeton 1; Northwestern 1; Indiana State 1
