Rough road: Cats start play in SEC on Wednesday for first time

Kentucky is limping into the postseason and will need to win five straight games to earn a league-record 33rd Southeastern Conference Tournament title this week in Nashville.

Not that anybody outside UK's inner basketball circle is expecting it.

Only once this season have the Cats put together a five-game winning streak. That happened from Jan. 10 to Jan. 24. Inconsistent play and missed opportunities have been a trademark for coach Mark Pope's second UK team.

The Wildcats (19-12, 10-8) had an opportunity to secure one of four coveted double byes for the league tournament. However, a disappointing 96-85 road loss at Texas A&M, followed by an 84-77 setback to No. 5 Florida in the home finale on Saturday, resulted in a No. 9 seed in the league tournament. A win over the Gators would have landed the Wildcats in the quarterfinals.

For the first time since the league expansion, Kentucky will play in the opening round of the event on Wednesday and will take on LSU in the tournament opener at 12:30 p.m. ET in Nashville (SEC Network).

The loss to the Gators marked the team's fourth Senior Day loss since the 2020 season. Prior to the pandemic, the Wildcats had lost just three times in the home finale since 1967.

Pope said the loss to Florida, which completed a regular-season sweep for the Gators, was "disappointing" but added the Wildcats are springing forward just as the switch to daylight saving time took place Sunday morning.

"The great thing about the tournament is it's one game," Pope said. "There is only one game. It's one game. We will talk about one game. That's all it is, postseason, it's just one game.

"We are going to prepare for one game on Wednesday, and we are going to put our whole heart and soul into it, and that's the only thing that matters to us, and that's the beauty of the postseason."

It took a miracle shot for the Wildcats to overcome LSU in Baton Rouge earlier this year, a 75-74 win that propelled the Wildcats to a five-game winning streak. A win over the Tigers when it matters the most could set up a rematch against Missouri and a possible third encounter against the Gators if the Wildcats reach Friday's quarterfinal round.

To reach the Sunday finale, the Wildcats need to win five straight games, which Brandon Garrison doesn't see as a big deal, and offered no excuses.

"We all love playing basketball, so I wouldn't say that's an excuse, but we put ourselves in that position, so we can't make that excuse, but we love hooping," he said. "It'll be a fun ride."

Following the loss to Florida, Pope wasn't ready to grade his second Kentucky team's performance, but added he thinks the Wildcats remain a "work in progress."

"Ask me when (the season is over)," he said.

That means Pope hasn't given up on the season just yet, and neither have his players, including Mouhamed Dioubate.

"I think we have been in this position before," he said. "I believe in our team to do great. Although we had a lot of losses, I still believe we can be great."

In order for that to happen, the Wildcats can't dwell on the past. A strong point of emphasis will be on the defensive end, an area where Kentucky has made the most improvement in Year 2 of the Pope era.

"When we guard, we're good, and all facets of that have to be great for us (to win)," Pope said. "When we guard, we are in every game. It's really important for us."

Now that the regular season is over, it's time for the final exam and Pope knows the assignment.