After the Kentucky Wildcats opened the SEC Tournament with an 87-82 victory over LSU, they will now face the Missouri Tigers in a rematch in Nashville for a spot in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals. Game time is set for 12:30 PM ET/11:30 AM CT on the SEC Network in Nashville.
The Wildcats struggled to defeat LSU in the opener, but at this point in the season, survival and advancement are what the game is about, and Kentucky did just that. Now, Kentucky will seek revenge against a Missouri team that entered Rupp Arena on Jan. 7 and defeated the Wildcats 73-68.
advertise
If you look back at the schedule, I’m sure Mark Pope and his teammates would love to be in that Missouri game. In that game, Kentucky led 66-58 with about 4:30 left but trailed 15-2 in the final seconds.
The Tigers have one of the most interesting resumes in the SEC. Missouri is one of only two teams in the conference to beat Florida State this season, along with a road win at Texas A&M and home wins over Tennessee and Vanderbilt. However, the Tigers also lost to LSU and Mississippi State and dropped a neutral-site game against Illinois by 43 points.
ESPN has Missouri ranked as an 11th seed, so the Tigers are not safe in the tournament and will certainly be looking for a win to secure a spot in the round of 68.
Here are some things to note:
advertise
kentucky defense
Kentucky didn’t have its best defensive performance against LSU. The Cats held LSU to 50% shooting from the field, albeit 5/20 from three-point range. Kentucky allowed too many open shots at the rim and too many second-chance easy baskets. Kentucky really struggled to contain LSU’s Max McKinnon, who scored 28 points on 11/17 shooting. The Cats will need a better defensive performance against Missouri State.
Brandon Garrison
Kentucky needs someone to step up against LSU, and that person is Brandon Garrison. Garrison had his best game of the season, scoring 17 points on 7/9 shooting and hitting two three-pointers. Garrison doesn’t just score efficiently, though. He found open teammates and played an important role on the defensive end, finishing with 2 steals and 2 blocks. Can Garrison keep the momentum going against Missouri? When he plays at that level, this team becomes noticeably different.
advertise
three point shot
Some things in Nashville this season haven’t been kind to Kentucky’s shooters. The Cats shot 21% from 3-point range in Nashville’s loss to Gonzaga earlier this season and just 6/22 from 3-point range against LSU. The trio of Denzel Aberdeen, Ortega Ove and Colin Chandler combined for 2/13 from distance. Kentucky needs to have a better shooting performance if they want to beat Missouri.
Players to watch
G Mark Mitchell 6-9, 230 pounds
-
Scored 21 points in Missouri’s win over Kentucky on January 7
G Jayden Stone 6-4, 185 pounds
-
Scored 20 points and 7 rebounds in last game against Kentucky; 3/6 from deep
G Trent Pierce 6-10, 225 pounds
-
Scored in double figures in 5 of the last 6 games.
-
time: March 12, 2026 12:30 pm EST
-
Place: Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee
-
Replay: WatchESPN and ESPN Network (view local listings)
-
predict: Evan Miya leads Kentucky to a 79-74 win. DRatings (84-79), KenPom (78-74) and Bart Torvik (77-75) also picked the Cats. Kentucky won its opener in Nashville, but the team has been marred by inconsistency all season. This reared its ugly head again as Kentucky failed to win back-to-back games. Missouri won 78-72 to advance.
Send us your predictions and see how you think this music city will fare!
advertise
And go to the cat! !
