Jay Bilas is among the most prominent names in college hoops. The former Duke Blue Devil himself spent some time at the professional level before testing his hand at coaching and ultimately finding his niche in broadcasting.
Bilas recently released what he called "The Bilas Index," a breakdown of the top teams in the country, in which he ranks them and then also touches on their strengths and weaknesses as the new basketball season starts to ramp up. Naturally, he placed the Blue Devils atop the ranking, but he was generous to the Cats, ranking Mark Pope's squad 19th overall. The Florida Gators, coming in at No. 2, were the first SEC team ranked.
That said, the Kentucky Wildcats did have a hectic offseason, and it wasn't all sunshine either. Having
entered the summer without much star power, the Cats were able to bring in Milan Momcilovic and bring back Malachi Moreno. Both starters should play a huge role in the Cats' success.
Here's what Bilas had to say about Kentucky.
"Mark Pope's first two Kentucky teams won a combined 46 games -- only one more than John Calipari's last two Kentucky teams. Though both win totals are worthy of celebration at most other programs in the country, Kentucky supporters want and expect more. What does not show up in Pope's win totals are the effect of injuries, which were a significant problem. If Kentucky stays healthy, Pope should expect to deliver a terrific season in 2027, mostly because of an excellent transfer class. Former Iowa State standout Milan Momcilovic is the best shooter in the country (48.7% on 3-pointers last season), and Kentucky will get him more shot opportunities than ever before. Washington transfer Zoom Diallo, a scoring point guard who can really pass and get into the lane, will bring leadership and facilitating skills. Furman transfer Alex Wilkins is a combo guard who can play on or off the ball, and returning big man Malachi Moreno should make a significant jump as a centerpiece inside. Kentucky will be a much better shooting team this season -- the key will be fitting all of the new players together and staying healthy in the process," Bilas wrote.
Mark Pope. Keeping The Faith.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) November 4, 2026
As Bilas notes, the sky is the limit for Pope's team, especially if they're able to stay healthy. Lets hope this team can hit their lofty goals.
This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: Kentucky Wildcats praised in 'The Bilas Index,' dubbed top-20 program
