Kentucky Basketball Upsets Georgia in OT, Fueling March Madness Hype

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky basketball enters Tuesday night’s home clash with the Georgia Bulldogs looking to rebound—literally and figuratively—after a 92-83 road loss to No. 14 Florida that exposed the Wildcats’ depth and glass woes. Why Tuesday matters 1. SEC standings shake-up: Georgia (17-8, 5-7 SEC) can vault back toward the middle of the league, while Kentucky (17-8, 8-4) must win to stay within striking distance of first-place Florida. 2. NCAA résumé boost: With Selection Sunday four weeks away, every Quadrant-2 opportunity counts for Mark Pope’s squad. 3. Momentum swing: Kentucky is 5-7 when trailing at halftime. Starting fast inside Rupp Arena is non-negotiable. Key storylines to watch • Rebounding response. The Gators owned a 45-37 edge—including 15 offensive boards—prompting Pope to label rebounding “priority No. 1” at practice. Junior spark plug Mo Dioubate echoed that sentiment, calling Georgia “one of the league’s best on the glass”. • Transition defense vs track-meet offense. The Bulldogs average 90.3 points (3rd in SEC) and have eclipsed the 100-point mark seven times. Kentucky must stop ball early and find shooters Jeremiah Wilkinson (17.1 ppg, 52 made threes) and Lamont Butler. • Wear-and-tear on Otega Oweh. The senior ironman topped 1,000 UK points Saturday but logged 37 minutes and shot 4-for-14. With starters Jaland Lowe (shoulder) and Kam Williams (foot) sidelined indefinitely and NBA-prospect Jayden Quaintance still battling knee swelling, Pope needs backcourt relief to keep Oweh’s legs fresh in March. Scouting the Wildcats Projected starters: G Otega Oweh | 19.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 3.8 apg G Denzel Aberdeen | 12.3 ppg, 4.0 apg — scored team-high 19 at Florida F Collin Chandler | 9.8 ppg, 42.1 % 3PT (five triples in Gainesville) F Malachi Moreno | 8.1 ppg, 7.6 rpg — freshman double-double vs Gators C Mo Dioubate | 6.4 ppg, 6.0 rpg — energy big, elite offensive rebounder Bench X-factor: sharpshooter Reese Sheppard (38 % 3PT) could stretch Georgia’s zone and slash Oweh’s minutes. Scouting the Bulldogs Coach Mike White’s uptempo attack pushes on every make or miss. Wilkinson headlines a four-guard lineup with 34+ threes each; 6-10 rim-runner Daniel Freeman anchors the paint (1.9 bpg). Turnovers (13.5 per game) remain their kryptonite. Three winning keys for Kentucky 1. Control first-shot misses. Georgia is 1-6 when outrebounded by eight or more; UK must hit the glass with all five. 2. Value possessions. The Cats commit the SEC’s fewest turnovers (9.8) and can slow Georgia’s pace by grinding out half-court looks. 3. Free-throw finish. Kentucky shoots 77.8 % at home; Georgia fouls 19.2 times per contest. Close games will be decided at the stripe. How to watch and stream • Tip-off: 9 p.m. ET, Tuesday, Feb. 17 • TV: ESPN (Kevin Fitzgerald, Dane Bradshaw) • Live stream: ESPN App with cable login • Radio: UK Sports Network (Tom Leach, Jack Givens) Bottom line The Wildcats have not dropped consecutive SEC games since the league opener; protecting Rupp Arena keeps a double-bye in the SEC Tournament on track and restores confidence ahead of Saturday’s showdown with No. 18 Alabama. Expect an energized Kentucky squad to crash the boards early, unleash transition threes of its own and lean on the Big Blue Nation’s roar to gut out a must-have February win.