Kentucky's win over Texas continues the upward trend for Mark Pope's Wildcats

This was setting up to be a very important week for Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats with two must-win home games against Texas and Ole Miss. Two teams that have picked up some impressive wins over the last few weeks in conference play.

The first of these two games just came to an end as the Wildcats took down Texas 85-80 in Rupp Arena. The two stars of the game for the Wildcats will come as no surprise to those who have watched Kentucky during their four-game SEC winning streak, and they were Otega Oweh and Denzel Aberdeen. The Wildcats were led in this game by 19 points from Aberdeen, with Oweh on his tail with 18. These two continue to carry the offense for the Wildcats as they have since the calendar turned to 2026.

With Jaland Lowe done for the season, Kentucky has desperately needed some secondary scoring from players other than Aberdeen and Oweh. They got that tonight from Collin Chandler, who scored 18 points in the win. The Wildcats need players to step up on offense with Lowe down, and so far, Chandler has answered the call.

Jan 21, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Collin Chandler (5) reacts after guard Otega Oweh is called for his fourth foul during the second half against the Texas Longhorns at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

While it didn’t translate to a bunch of points, Andrija Jelavic had another solid performance in this game. He had four points to go with seven boards, two steals, and an assist in the big win. Jelavic finished with a +/- of +18 in this game, while Mo Dioubate was tied for worst on the team with a -14.

Jelavic played 17 minutes in this game, and he will continue to get better with more playing time. The flashes are there for the Croatian forward, and in due time, he will put it all together.

Now the concern for Kentucky will be seeing the injury status of Kam Williams, who was ruled out with a foot injury. Williams shot free throws then immediately hobbled to the locker room. This team has been plagued with injuries all season long, so fans are praying that it’s nothing serious for Williams, who is starting to play some great basketball for this team. He had nine points, a rebound, and an assist before going down with the injury.

This was a very important win for the Wildcats, who improved to 4-2 in SEC play. If Kentucky takes down Ole Miss on Saturday, it will set up a massive week next week with games against Vanderbilt and Arkansas on the road. A tie game at halftime helped this Kentucky team not need a big second-half comeback, leading Pope’s team past the Longhorns. Things are starting to look up for the Wildcats as the roller coaster that has been this season nears its peak.