The one voter who didn't think UK should be No. 1 put Louisville atop his ballot instead

LEXINGTON — Kentucky basketball took over the top spot in the Associated Press Top 25 on Monday, but the decision was not unanimous despite the Wildcats beating No. 1 Michigan State last week while ranked No. 2.

The Wildcats' moment at the top was short-lived. The next day, UK was beaten in one of the biggest upsets in the John Calipari era, falling to Evansville 67-64 in front of a stunned Rupp Arena crowd. 

One of the 65 voters in the poll did not rank Kentucky first. He actually ranked them fourth. Adding even more intrigue to the selection, that voter, Dave Borges of the New Haven Register, ranked the Wildcats' arch rival Louisville first.

In an email to The Courier Journal on Monday, Borges, who covers UConn men's basketball for the Register, explained his thinking:

"Really, it just came down to the fact that I had Louisville No. 2 in the preseason, and they went 2-0 with an impressive win at Miami and did nothing to not make me jump them to No. 1. And yes, I understand that preseason polls shouldn't necessarily matter once the games start. But I was high on Louisville at the start of the season, and they gave me no reason not to still be high on them.

"Maybe I'm wrong and Kentucky is the best team in the nation, but it's far too early to tell. Everyone said Duke was going to go undefeated after the first week last season. I had UK No. 7 preseason, I think, and bumped them up a few spots. Actually did consider them No. 1, but stayed with Louisville and other teams I had ranked ahead of them. 

"The real surprise, to me, is that not a single other writer voted for anyone other than Kentucky. It's far too early in the season for that type of consensus, in my opinion."

The USA TODAY Coaches poll has Kentucky ranked No. 2 and Louisville ranked Louisville No. 5. 

You can read Borges' full explanation of his top-25 ballot at the Register's website.

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Jon Hale:jahale@courier-journal.com; Twitter:@JonHale_CJ. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/jonh.