Kentucky took a big spill in the preseason rankings after losing Mark Mitchell

Kentucky is outside of the top 20 after losing Mark Mitchell.

Jan 7, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Missouri Tigers forward Mark Mitchell (25) drives to the basket around Kentucky Wildcats forward Mouhamed Dioubate (23) during the first half at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Yesterday was a rough day for Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats as they lost the commitment of Mark Mitchell. It was announced that the veteran power forward is going to head back to Missouri to use his fifth year of eligibility. This was a big blow for the Wildcats, as with Mitchell, this team was likely going to be in the top ten of the Preseason AP Poll and true national title contenders. That won't be the case now without Mitchell.

Jon Rothstein updates his top 45 rankings every day, and the Wildcats took a big drop after Mitchell announced that he is heading back to Missouri. The Wildcats were inside of the top 15 but now after the update they are all the way down to 21.

Mar 19, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Missouri Tigers forward Mark Mitchell (25) looks on during a practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Then funny part about the Wildcats falling down to 21 is that now the Missouri Tigers have leapfrogged them after adding Mitchell back to the roster as they are now 20th in these rankings. One of the first few games the Wildcats will play in SEC play is when they take on the Tigers in Columbia, and this game just got much tougher.

I do feel that even without Mitchell, this ranking of 21 is a little bit too low for Pope and the Wildcats. This team still has some elite pieces and a lot of players with upside. I feel that a ranking in the 16 to 18 range would make more sense for Pope's team, but the Wildcats do have a lot to prove.

Kentucky basketball head coach Mark Pope gives an update on the upcoming 2026-27 season during a press conference in Lexington, Kentucky July 24, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Players like Braydon Hawthorne, Mason Williams, Kam Williams, Malachi Moreno, Alex Wilkins, and most importantly Ousmane N'Diaye are going to have a massive effect on how good this team ends up being. N'Diaye's role just got a lot more important after Mitchell headed back to Missouri. He has to be a spark for this team at the four, or this position is going to be a big hole for the Wildcats.

I understood that the Wildcats were going to take a big dip in the rankings after losing to Missouri, but it sounds like most of the national media has lost all interest in this team. It is impossible to overhype this team now, but at the same time, with the upside the Wildcats possess, you can't give up on them yet either. This is going to be a very interesting season of Kentucky basketball.

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