The Cats are reeling, coming off an emotional and controversial loss to Auburn. We are all feeling the emotional hangover, and the players are not immune to it. Mark Pope's squad is suddenly 17-10, staring down the barrel of the NCAA Tournament bubble, and desperately needing a win.
Tuesday night's trip to Columbia to face South Carolina (12-15, 3-11 SEC) is an absolute must-win. But what kind of game are we actually walking into?
The perfect 'get right' game for Kentucky's offense
If Mark Pope wants to get this offense back on track, Colonial Life Arena is the place to do it. The Gamecocks' defense is porous, giving up 76.4 points per game (226th in the country). They don't block shots (just 2.4 per game, ranking 315th), and they are statistically one of the worst rebounding teams in America.
South Carolina pulls down just 32.9 rebounds a night and ranks an abysmal 299th in offensive rebounding percentage. If Malachi Moreno and Brandon Garrison want to dominate the paint and get their confidence back, this is the exact matchup to make it happen.
In fact, if Kentucky is going to get any offensive mojo going in the final push for the tournament, it has to start tomorrow night in Columbia.
The ultimate trap game warning
But hold on, this is also a massive trap. Kentucky could easily be caught looking ahead to Saturday's Vanderbilt revenge game, or still be stuck in the past, frustrated by the whistle at Neville Arena.
South Carolina has absolutely nothing to lose, and they just hung 97 points on Mississippi State over the weekend. They play a clean game, ranking 35th nationally in limiting turnovers (just 9.8 per game).
And if it comes down to a tight game in the final minutes? The Gamecocks shoot an elite 79% from the free-throw line, making them the seventh-best free-throw shooting team in the country. Meechie Johnson Jr. is averaging a staggering 19.9 points per game in conference play and is more than capable of taking over a game down the stretch.
If Kentucky sleepwalks into this one expecting an easy win, South Carolina will make them pay. The season is on the line. Here's how to watch it all go down.
How to watch and listen to Kentucky vs. South Carolina
Date and time: February 24th, 2026 at 7 PM
Channel: SEC Network
Location: Columbia, SC (Colonial Life Arena)
Streaming: Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, FuboTV, Sling TV (Blue & Orange Plan)
Radio: Stream live at UKAthletics.com or on iHeartRadio via WLAP 630.
Local FM/AM Stations:
Lexington: 98.1 FM / 630 WLAP
Louisville: 840 AM WHAS
London: 103.9 FM WWEL
Hazard/Pikeville: 101.1 WSGS
Madisonville: 93.9 FM WKTG