Kentucky in danger of playing on Wednesday in SEC Tournament

Can Kentucky pick up a few wins to end the season and avoid playing on Wednesday in the SEC Tournament?

Feb 14, 2026; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope gestures against the Florida Gators during the first half at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

The Kentucky Wildcats have gone downhill in the SEC over the past week, now on a three-game losing streak following losses to Florida and two desperate bubble teams in Georgia and Auburn. That has landed them in very dangerous territory in the conference after those results. Let's take a look at where Kentucky stands following an eventful week for Mark Pope and the Wildcats.

With four games remaining in the regular season, Kentucky is actually in 9th place in the SEC, thanks to some current tie-breakers that would push them back in the standings. The Wildcats are in a four-team cluster, as Vandy, Missouri, Texas and Kentucky are all at 8-6 in the SEC as we get to the final two weeks of the season. It's an important time for all four teams, and for Kentucky, they'll need to end the season on the right note to avoid playing on Wednesday in the SEC Tournament.

As how things stand right now, those tie-breakers are brutal, as both Missouri and Vandy both have that in their favor over the Wildcats, and right now, Kentucky would be playing on Wednesday in the tournament, actually opening things up on that day at noon as the No. 9 seed. This is not a spot Kentucky needs to be in, because they would most likely need to make some noise in Nashville to get a better seed in the NCAA Tournament. But even those hopes could be in trouble depending on how they end the season, and that includes their performance in Nashville.

Feb 7, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Otega Oweh (00) holds the ball after being fouled during the second half against the Tennessee Volunteers at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

What does Kentucky need to do to avoid playing on opening day of the SEC Tournament? Analytics are projected them to finish 1-3 in the conference, with a 9-9 record. That would most likely not be enough to avoid playing on that Wednesday, as they would then really need those other teams in the current 8-6 pack to slip up, such as Texas, who they beat earlier this season. This also means that these next two games against South Carolina and Vandy are extremely important. One, Kentucky needs to simply avoid another blister against a bad South Carolina team, but also avoid getting swept by Vandy and split the series 1-1. Also, winning at least two games of the remaining four would give them a better chance of avoiding that dreaded 9-seed.

The Wildcats have a very tough remaining schedule, but one thing is for sure, and that is the fact that they absolutely cannot go just 1-3 in this final stretch. That would put them in territory they do not want to be in. Kentucky will finish off the season with home games against Vandy and Florida, along with road trips to South Carolina and Texas A&M.

Here's a look at where teams sit in the SEC Tournament bracket with four games left in the regular season. pic.twitter.com/nDeQykNSUU

— Blake Lovell (@theblakelovell) February 23, 2026