Men's Basketball

Where Kentucky Falls on the SEC Tournament Seeding Spectrum

Three games, including their own, control Kentucky’s ultimate destiny in next week’s SEC Tournament in Nashville.

Published

3 months ago

March 7, 2025

Lane Mills

Kentucky Wildcats playing in the SEC Tournament in Nashville

IMAGN

Although the Wildcats were able to take a big, collective breath after Ole Miss secured them a first round bye in the SEC Tournament with a win over Tennessee, their final fate is far from decided.

As they currently stand, Kentucky is slated in the eight seed in the Southeastern Conference; just ahead of Mississippi State, and right behind Texas A&M. While UK (again, thanks to Ole Miss) is unable to fall any further than their current position no matter how their last game goes, there also exists the possibility for the ‘Cats to rise as high as seed five.

What’s more? Everything comes down to three games: Ole Miss vs. Florida, Texas A&M vs. LSU, and, of course, Kentucky vs. Missouri. Where the Wildcats end up will all depend on the mixed-and-matched outcome of these three battles.

“Worst” Case Scenario

The simplest, and objectively worst possible outcome (although maintaining a bye is still pretty sweet) would only require one game to end a certain way – that is, Kentucky falling to Mizzou. In that case, no matter how the other two games turned out, the ‘Cats would be officially locked into the eight seed in which they currently sit when things kick off in Nashville.

But if Kentucky beats Missouri? Things get a lot more interesting.

Middle Ground

Given a big blue victory on Saturday, these two scenarios feel like the most plausible and encouraging options on the spread. In addition to a Wildcats win, if A&M beats LSU (expected) and Ole Miss beats Florida (unexpected), Kentucky would rise one spot to the seventh seed.

Now, swap the Ole Miss game and give Florida the win, and suddenly, the ‘Cats rise to the sixth spot. Interestingly enough, this latter outcome seems inherently more likely than the former, given Florida’s home court advantage and LSU’s consistent in-conference struggles. Either way, these two options are firmly in reach; all Kentucky has to do to guarantee a better seed than the one they have now is win.

Wishful Thinking

In the best possible scenario, as wild as it may seem Kentucky could climb as far as the fifth seed in the SEC standings. What’s even wilder? It’s more possible than the projections may lead you to believe.

If Kentucky and Florida win (again, Florida is favored), it’d all come down to LSU finding a way to upset A&M. That seems like a pipe dream, especially after what Kentucky just did to the Tigers in Rupp, but the game takes place in Baton Rouge, and it’ll be the last one there this season.

Who knows? Maybe the seniors in purple and gold will work to play spoiler and sabotage one of the better teams in their conference; after all, late-season college basketball is known for stories like these. As unlikely as it seems, you’d be remiss to count anything out after the first day of March.

Blue Gets In

As nice as it would be to jump three spots in the conference standings headed into the tournament, Nashville will be a blue-out either way, and Kentucky will have the benefit of both a first round bye and the most fans in the building on any given night out.

To boot, the team’s coach finally takes the event as seriously as the fans who travel for it do. Mark Pope said in Thursday’s press conference, “this SEC Tournament matters.” So no matter where the Wildcats end up, rest assured that Coach Pope will have the team right where they need to be headed into the weekend.

Kentucky will look to make their first splash in the tournament in years ahead of what is sure to be a historic March… for better or, perish the thought, much worse.

Men's Basketball

Zach Tow Returns For Second Season As Kentucky Walk-On

Madisonville native Zach Tow reappears in team photos as UK begins summer workouts

Published

17 hours ago

June 18, 2025

Ali Cetinok

Elliott Hess | UK Athletics

Zach Tow, a walk-on from last season’s team, appeared to have his status for this year confirmed after being spotted in UK Athletics’ photos from the first day of summer workouts.

The clock has started 🕰️ pic.twitter.com/Mx2UlixakY— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) June 17, 2025

The Madisonville native (No. 20 in blue pictured above) returns to the program for his second season under head coach Mark Pope, having joined the Wildcats following on-campus tryouts last year. The 6-foot-5 senior was an All-District and All-Region selection at Madisonville North Hopkins, where he averaged 12.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game as a senior during the 2021-22 season. As a junior, he averaged 11 points and 11 rebounds. He helped lead the team to the Sweet 16 in 2019.

Tow saw playing time in a blowout win during the regular-season home finale against LSU and again in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against Troy–Pope’s first NCAA Tournament win as a head coach.

He is the second walk-on from last season’s roster to return, following Walker Horn. Both Horn and Grant Darbyshire entered the transfer portal after the season; Horn would go on to decide to come back, while Darbyshire transferred to his hometown team of Cincinnati.

Men's Basketball

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Reaching Closer To Coveted Finals MVP

Published

2 days ago

June 17, 2025

Isaiah Pinto

Alonzo Adams | Imagn Images

After trading wins through the first four games of the NBA Finals, Oklahoma City broke the series tie to command a 3-2 lead with back-to-back wins.

The Thunder dominated in their return to Paycom Center as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams combined for 71 points en route to a 120-109 victory. Indiana took a narrow 12-11 lead with 9:03 left in the first quarter and never reclaimed it.

Oklahoma City’s defense stirred havoc on the Pacers all game.

Game one hero Tyrese Haliburton was battling a lower leg injury and was held to only four points. Haliburton went 0-6 from the field, only scoring from the free-throw line.

Gilgeous-Alexander recorded four blocks and two steals in addition to his 31-point performance. The Thunder outnumbered Indiana in blocks 12 to four and steals 15 to nine.

In the fourth, the Thunder shook off a rally by the Pacers that closed their 18-point lead to only two points.

A behind-the-back pass from Gilgeous-Alexander led to a Williams deep ball. Followed by a scoop-and-score by fellow ex-Wildcat Cason Wallace, the OKC lead extended to seven.

Indiana continued to be outmatched by the Thunder defense.

Gilgeous-Alexander persistently split through the Pacers’ double teams and found open teammates, fueling an 18-to-2-point run to close out the win. Claiming the first back-to-back victory for either team this series.

The Kentucky alum finished with a double-double with 31 points and 10 assists, his first of the series.

Game five marked Gilgeous-Alexander’s fourth 30-point performance of the NBA Finals. Currently, he is averaging 32.4 points, 5.0 assists, 4.6 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, and 2.4 steals per game.

A Finals victory almost looks certain for the Thunder. Given Halliburton’s injury and the palpable momentum swinging in Oklahoma City’s favor with consecutive wins.

Gilgeous-Alexander is one win away from claiming the first Finals MVP for any Kentucky player in NBA history. Additionally, Gilgeous-Alexander would join an exclusive club of legends to earn Finals MVP and league MVP in the same season.

He would become the first double-crowned MVP since LeBron James in 2013.

Men's Basketball

Mark Pope On Coaching Kentucky Players At USA U19 Camp: “A Sneak-Peek Into What’s Going To Be”

Pope got to coach two of his own at the USA U19 camp, in newcomer Wildcats Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno.

Published

2 days ago

June 17, 2025

Lane Mills

Mark Pope got to coach two Kentucky natives at the USA U19 camp.

Chet White | UK Athletics

What does Mark Pope do in the offseason? Well, when he’s not recruiting, signing autographs, or answering countless questions, he’s coaching Team USA at the U19 camp.

Coach Pope, in lieu of his uber-successful first season at the helm for Kentucky, was brought on to coach the group of young athletes prior to the beginning of their college careers.

Amongst the fray of recruits committed elsewhere, Pope got to coach two of his very own players in Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno – both Kentucky natives, playing under a Kentucky alumni, for a team USA.

Big Blue Nation, you aren’t dreaming. No pinch necessary.

Jaw-Dropping

“It was awesome,” Pope said of the opportunity, in an interview with KSR’s Jack Pilgrim. “It’s the first time I’ve been allowed to coach them… it’s like a sneak-peek into what’s going to be.”

“They were both incredible, like jaw-dropping great. So, the chance to coach them, the chance to be in some live-play, some competition against other players… I loved that part and I loved getting to see their competitiveness come out, their fearlessness come out, their hearts come out.”

While the original USA U19 roster was much larger, part of the process is a “cut down” of sorts, in which only 18 players remain as a part of the next unit. Jasper Johnson made it, whilst Malachi Moreno did not – although, the latter was the result of a minor injury he sustained during play.

Reportedly, it was a mutual decision between Moreno and the team that he would return to Lexington in order to manage his injury ahead of the 2025-26 season.

Either way, Coach Pope getting an early chance to lead two of his incoming players can only be taken as a good omen. With his second season at Kentucky creeping closer, fans can only look on, and take in what little new information is available whilst they wait.

It won’t be long before Johnson and Moreno both are electrifying their hometown crowd at Rupp Arena. November is circled in blue on everyone’s calendar.