The Kentucky basketball team beat James Madison in their second game of the season, but it took a big second half effort, and they didn't look their best. They're 2-0 now, but the close victory dropped them out of this week's USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
Kentucky was ranked 23rd in the preseason coaches poll, and this week they just missed it, coming in as the highest vote getter to not make the top 25. They were pushed down by the UCLA Bruins and Nebraska Cornhuskers, who both jumped into the rankings this week after hot starts.
Around the rest of the SEC, Arkansas took the biggest drop after their loss. They fell seven spots, but are still one of six teams in the conference that are ranked. Three more teams, including Kentucky, received votes.
The coming week is a big one for the Wildcats. They'll face Kansas on Tuesday, and will need to play better than they did against James Madison. Last year, they looked completely overmatched against ranked non-conference foes. They can't afford to struggle with good teams again this year.
Here are the full results of this week's coaches poll:
This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: Kentucky drops out of USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll after win
