UK basketball awaits March Madness fate after another loss to Florida

NASHVILLE — There won’t be a SEC Tournament semifinal Saturday for Kentucky basketball.

UK, the No. 9 seed in this year’s event, fell to top-seeded Florida for the third time in as many games this season, with the Wildcats dropping a 71-63 decision in Friday’s quarterfinal at Bridgestone Arena.

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Kentucky (21-13) and coach Mark Pope now head back to Lexington prepare for Selection Sunday, when they’ll learn their destination and opponent to kick off this year’s NCAA Tournament. Florida (26-6) moves into the SEC Tournament semifinals, playing at 1 p.m. ET Saturday against the winner of Friday’s quarterfinal between 4-seed Vanderbilt and 5-seed Tennessee.

Here are three takeaways from the Wildcats’ eight-point setback:

Florida is a tough ask for Kentucky. Would be best for the Cats to avoid the Gators in the NCAA Tournament.

Alabama was a bad matchup for Kentucky last season. The Crimson Tide won all three meetings with the Cats in 2024-25.

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The Gators duplicated that 3-for-3 feat Friday.

But this Florida squad arguably is even an even more formidable foe for UK than that Alabama outfit. That’s because the Gators never trailed at any point in their three contests versus the Wildcats this season.

That’s right: Kentucky and Florida played 180 minutes of basketball this season. UK didn’t manage to find itself on the right side of the scoreboard for a single second.

It’s a stunning stat to look at. Even more so when one considers Kentucky’s status as the winningest program in the history of the sport. But the past two seasons, it’s unquestionable Florida has been better. The Gators swept the SEC and NCAA tournament titles last season. They’re trying to go back to back in both events a year later.

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Needless to say, the Wildcats should cross their fingers they’re not in the same region as the Gators in the Big Dance. Recent history shows UK might as well pencil in a loss if it’s able to set up a fourth showdown with the best the SEC has to offer.