NBCSports.com Offers Early Respect for UK in 2009-10

NBC Sports is offering a very early look at the preseason top 25 for 2009-10. Kentucky makes the rankings at #17 and Louisville is not in the top 25.

1. Kansas
2. Syracuse
3. Duke
4. Purdue
5. West Virginia
6. Wake Forest
7. Michigan State
8. North Carolina
9. Florida
10. Tennessee
11-25: 11. Villanova 12. Ohio State 13. Pittsburgh 14. Texas 15. Florida State 16. Washington 17. Kentucky 18. Minnesota 19. Cal 20. Butler 21. Michigan 22. Texas A&M 23. Clemson 24. UCLA 25. Oklahoma State

(Just missed: Georgetown, Missouri, Louisville, Connecticut.)

Here is the link

Ken Davis at NBCSports.com has Kentucky in his preseason Final Four for 2009-10:

1. Kansas
2. Syracuse
3. Kentucky
4. Wake Forest

His thoughts on Kentucky: With all that money Calipari is getting to coach the Wildcats, he really needs to produce. No honeymoon for Coach Cal. The last coach in Lexington missed the tournament and got fired after two years.

With Jodie Meeks, Patrick Patterson and undetermined players who will follow him from Memphis or sign letters of intent, Calipari should win it all. But he’s never done that, has he?