Kentucky suffers worst start to SEC play in 20 years following loss to Missouri

Kentucky basketball returned to action on Wednesday after their 15-point loss at Alabama as they hosted the Missouri Tigers in Rupp Arena. The Wildcats headed into the game facing a must-win situation with how their season has gone. It wasn't just any other game against Missouri, though, as Kentucky played with both Jaland Lowe and Jayden Quaintance starting for the first time all season in order for this team to try and get out of the slump they've been in.

That ultimately went to the wayside as Kentucky had an absolutely brutal late-game collapse against Missouri, which lead to a 73-68 loss. Following a rough first half offensive showing, the Wildcats used a second-half surge to go up by eight with 4:37 left to play, but were then outscored a staggering 15-2 by the Missouri Tigers, and now have suffered their worst start to SEC play in 20 years, as the last time Kentucky started 0-2 in the SEC was 2005-06. It was also their first home-opener conference loss since 2012-13. Embarrassing is the only way to put this loss, because Kentucky had no excuse. Everyone was healthy, and the Wildcats even had the led late in the game, but it was their own costly mistakes that led to the late collapse, as before that big Missouri run, Kentucky had back-to-back turnovers.

Obviously, the result of the game stings, but what also stings is the fact that Otega Oweh finally showed throughout the game why he was the SEC Player of the Year favorite coming into the season. Oweh had a team-high 20 points as the only Wildcat in double figures. But, all of that went to waste when Kentucky completely collapsed in the final minutes, even finishing the game on a scoring drought of 2:17. It was absolutely ugly, and that 6-0 run that helped put them up eight late in the game did not matter in the end. Missouri's 7-0 run with 1:03 left to put them in the lead was the last laugh in Rupp Arena on Wednesday.

Now, Mark Pope and Kentucky basketball are faced with big-picture season questions. The Wildcats now sit at 9-6 on the season, including 0-2 in SEC, their worst start in the conference since 2005-06. It's embarrassing, and there's no other way to put it. To make matters even worse, Kentucky suffered a quad 3 loss against the Tigers on Wednesday, and now, their backs are more than against the wall in the SEC.

Kentucky has a huge hill to climb already not just for their conference hopes, but tournament hopes as well, because now, the Wildcats almost certainly will be on, or very close to the being on the bubble.