Where Kentucky's postseason hopes stand after important win at South Carolina

Kentucky basketball got its most important win remaining on the schedule against South Carolina on Tuesday.

Feb 24, 2026; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope directs his team against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the first half at Colonial Life Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

Kentucky basketball picked up a pretty massively important win on the road on Tuesday night against South Carolina. Following a tough three-game losing streak, the Wildcats had their postseason hopes in question, not only for seeding in the SEC Tournament, but also their NCAA Tournament hopes.

As of Tuesday morning, Kentucky was ranked 9th in the SEC, tied with four other teams for 6th place. However, the biggest story from the night's results is that Kentucky's NCAA Tournament hopes appear to be safe after avoiding a potentially disastrous loss against South Carolina, which would have likely ended up costing them dearly on Selection Sunday.

Before Kentucky's matchup with South Carolina. ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi talked about just how important the game was. Simply put, they just had to take care of business. "You don't need anymore 'up' wins, you just need to win when you're favored," Lunardi said on ESPN, before going on to say the game at South Carolina was a 'dangerous spot' for Kentucky to find themselves in.

Feb 24, 2026; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Collin Chandler (5) reacts after making a three point basket against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the second half at Colonial Life Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

Now, the focus completely shifts to where Kentucky is slotted in as far as the SEC Tournament goes after their massively important win in Columbia on Tuesday. Following a plethora of games within the conference over the last two days, things have shifted a bit. We now have a four-way tie for fifth place between Kentucky, Texas A&M, Vandy and Missouri, who all are sitting at 9-6. Of course, that's where tie-breakers come into play, so Kentucky would be 8th if the SEC Tournament began today, thanks to the others getting the edge over the Wildcats.

With Kentucky basically locked into the NCAA Tournament, playing for seeding within the SEC is the most important thing for them now. That's why the upcoming game against Vandy on Saturday is so pivotal, given that both teams are neck and neck. Also, Vandy already has the win over Kentucky in the first matchup, so the Wildcats will need to even things up with them. Obviously, it depends on how the others around them do in the standings, but at least finishing 2-2 would likely be what keeps Kentucky from playing on Wednesday in the SEC Tournament.

The Wildcats finish the season with Vandy and Florida at home, along with Texas A&M on the road. Plenty of opportunities are still on the table as the SEC standings continue to shape up.