Kentucky new No. 1 in Top 25 after beating Michigan State

Published 2:15 am Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Kentucky is back in a familiar position under John Calipari: No. 1 in The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll.

The Wildcats rose one spot after winning a 1-vs-2 matchup with Michigan State to open the season in the Champions Classic, followed by an easy win against Eastern Kentucky. They earned 64 of 65 first-place votes in Monday’s poll to finish ahead of No. 2 Duke.

“I think we’ll have a good mindset,” sophomore guard Immanuel Quickley said. “Coach does a good job of keeping us humble. We know we’re No. 1, but we’re not where we need to be yet. By the end of the year we want to be that No. 1 team, and we know what we’re looking for from each other.”

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It marks the first time the Wildcats (2-0) have reached No. 1 in the AP Top 25 since spending two weeks there early in the 2016-17 season.