Kentucky Wildcats Face Oklahoma Sooners in SEC Tournament Opener

NASHVILLE, Tennessee — The No. 6 seed Kentucky Wildcats are set to clash with No. 14 seed Oklahoma Sooners in the second round of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Tournament on Thursday at 9:30 p.m. EDT at Bridgestone Arena. This matchup comes after Oklahoma triumphed over Georgia 81-75 in the opening round.

This will be the second meeting this season between the two teams; Kentucky narrowly defeated Oklahoma 83-82 on February 26 in Norman. In that contest, Kentucky’s Otega Oweh starred with a career-high 28 points, including a decisive late-game run to secure the win. Oweh’s performance included blocking a potential game-winning shot from Oklahoma as time expired.

Head coach Mark Pope expressed confidence in his team’s preparation for the tournament. “The great thing about being at the University of Kentucky is that every game is a one and done. That’s what we do,” Pope noted. “For us, there’s some comfort in that. You don’t know how to turn the temperature up more.”

Pope emphasized a possession-by-possession mindset as crucial for success. “Our goal is to come here and win. But the way that we’re going to win is we’re going to come here and think about this possession. We’re going to be lost with our whole heart in this possession. If we can do that consistently, we’re going to be successful,” he stated.

In their most recent regular-season game, Kentucky clinched a significant 91-83 victory against Missouri, marking the Wildcats’ eighth triumph against an Associated Press Top-15 team this season, matching an NCAA record. Oweh led the charge with 22 points, while Andrew Carr contributed a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds.

The Wildcats excelled offensively, scoring 90 or more points in 12 games this season and demonstrated shooting prowess with over 50 percent success from beyond the arc multiple times. They maintained control throughout the contest against Missouri, leading by as much as 16 points in the second half.

Looking ahead, Kentucky boasts an impressive record of 135-30 all-time in SEC Tournament play, with their last championship win occurring in 2018 against Tennessee. Pope prepares for his inaugural SEC Tournament as the head coach of Kentucky, carrying an 8-9 overall record in past conference tournaments.

Otega Oweh’s excellence has been recognized, as he was named to the All-SEC Second Team, averaging 16.2 points per game throughout the regular season. Oweh established himself as a key player, registering double-digit points in 29 games so far this season.

The showdown between Kentucky and Oklahoma marks a critical step in the Wildcats’ postseason journey as they aim to forge ahead in the SEC Tournament.