March success for the Kentucky Wildcats will come down to the play of one player

The regular season has come to an end, and the Kentucky Wildcats are getting ready to play their first game in the SEC Tournament on Wednesday afternoon against the LSU Tigers. For the first time in program history, the Wildcats are going to play on Wednesday in the SEC Tournament, meaning Mark Pope’s squad would have to win five games in a row to win the whole thing.

You hate to say Kentucky’s postseason success will come down to the play of one guy, but that is what the numbers are looking like for the Wildcats. KSR pointed out that in SEC play, when Collin Chandler scored ten or more points, Kentucky was 7-3. In games where he scored less than ten points in SEC play, the Wildcats had a 3-5 record.

Feb 24, 2026; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Collin Chandler (5) stares down the South Carolina Gamecocks cheerleaders after dunking during the second half at Colonial Life Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

The point of this stat is quite simple: when Chandler plays well, the Wildcats win games, and when he struggles, Kentucky loses. Now it is obvious that Oweh has to play well for Kentucky to win, but he averaged 21.1 points per game in SEC play, so at this point, it is just a certainty that he is going to play well.

Chandler has been the flame thrower at times for this Kentucky team, like we saw against Vanderbilt a few days ago, where he couldn’t seem to miss from three. For a team to go on a deep run in the SEC Tournament or NCAA Tournament, a team needs a player to get hot from three, and Chandler is that player Kentucky. Chandler shooting the ball well in the postseason could be the difference in a first weekend exit from the big dance or a deeper run.

As I said, I hate to make it sound like one player will make the difference in the postseason, but this season has had that feel for Chandler. He had a rough couple of games last week, scoring two points in the loss to Florida and three points in the loss to Texas A&M.

Feb 17, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Collin Chandler (5) celebrates after scoring a three point basket during the first half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Last season, Chandler got hot in the postseason for the Wildcats, and as we have seen this year, there is no moment too big for the sophomore guard. Chandler is the most clutch player this team has, as he has proved over and over this season, so the bright lights of March shouldn’t be too bright for Kentucky's sharpshooter.

If Chandler does have a good postseason, he will head into next season as a star in the SEC and will become one of the top options for the Wildcats scoring the basketball.