Predicting the 2026-27 record for Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats

Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats will get the 2026-27 season kicked off this evening as they welcome Manhattan into Rupp Arena. This is a very important season for Pope and the Wildcats. It is imperative that Coach Pope and the Wildcats have a good season for him to stick around for the long haul in Lexington.

With the season getting kicked off this evening let's take a look at Kentucky Wildcats On SI's record prediction for the 2026-27 season.

Kentucky Basketball 2026-27 record prediction

Andrew Stefaniak

Oct 28, 2026; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope talks with a referee during the first half against the UCF Knights at Rupp Arena Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Pope and the Wildcats have a very interesting season upcoming. It is important that Pope and the Wildcats keep to under double-digit losses this season and go on a big run in the NCAA Tournament. I believe the Wildcats will go 12-2 in non-conference play with losses to Kansas and Virginia. I think Pope's team, will go 12-6 in SEC play. This would give the Wildcats a 24-8 record on the season. Pope's team has a ton of upside, so I think this team will keep getting better as the season goes on. Big Blue Nation would be very happy if the Wildcats finished the regular season with a 24-8 record.

Wyatt Huff

I have Kentucky going 25-7 this season. I have them losing a few marquee games in Kansas, a top 25 team, and at Virginia, a top 15 team in non-conference. I see this Kentucky team taking a few weeks to find its groove, before picking up their first major win when they take on Louisville in December in Rupp. From there, I have Kentucky losing big games on the road to Mizzou and Texas, but also wins by sweeping Tennessee and others including the likes of Texas A&M and on the road at Mississippi State, finishing with a 13-5 SEC record. Conference play features a number of top games, and this team will really be tested. I think Kentucky has the potential to be a top 15 team this season and make real noise in the NCAA Tournament, but they’ll at least maintain their top 25 status when the season is over. If the offense can get into a rhythm we all know this team has the potential to, they might even be a five-loss team. But, at this moment, I think they drop some throughout the season against some really tough teams and finish with seven losses.

Carson Nash

I think Kentucky will finish the regular season with a 25-7 record, going 12-2 in non-conference play and 13-5 in conference games. I expect them to handle most opponents early, with only a couple of tough matchups keeping them from a perfect non-conference record, those being a Champions Classic Loss to Kansas and Kentucky's first road loss against Virginia. Once conference play starts, I expect Kentucky will protect home court, with the lone loss being Alabama, and will pick up some important wins away from home. Most of their losses will come against the better SEC teams on the road (at Missouri, at Texas, at Florida, at Vanderbilt.) where winning is always difficult. Overall, I believe this team will show steady improvement and will be playing their best come March.

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