Kentucky basketball had itself a week. Coming back from 18 and 17 points down, both on the road, is something worthy of celebrating. The Cats clawed and kept going, and while there are still things to work out, you have to take the wins when they come.
Now, Kentucky has two home games to keep the momentum rolling, and the national media is finally picking up on some good vibes out of Lexington.
Kentucky is getting the resume back in order
The Cats were just 1-5 in Quad 1 games heading into Baton Rouge. That is not great, not only for the current season but for projecting what happens in March. You are going to run into a lot of Quad 1 teams along the way to a Final Four. That is the goal this team has every year, and they were simply not getting it done.
First, LSU happened, and fans are still wondering how it happened. The season looked lost; the Cats had fought all the way back but found themselves down one and needing a full-court miracle. Collin Chandler wound up and dropped an absolute dime to Malachi Moreno, who turned and watched the net splash with a game-winner for the ages.
The Cats couldn't celebrate long, though. They had a noon tip-off just three days later in Knoxville.
Tennessee turned Kentucky over, beat them up on the glass, and did what they wanted to for the first 15 minutes of the game. The Cats found a little run near the end of the first half, and that continued in the second. However, they didn't grab their first lead until there was under a minute to go.
A Denzel Aberdeen runner and an intentionally missed free throw from Tennessee set up a frantic finish that ended with a little scuffle. But more importantly, it led to a win.
Now 3-5 in Quad 1 games and 12-6 on the season, the Cats are off the bubble for now. It is about climbing the seeding charts and finding their groove. Dick Vitale believes they are doing just that.
The legendary broadcaster took to X to declare Kentucky had the best week of anyone in college basketball:
The best week in college hoops belongs to @CoachMarkPope & @KentuckyMBB . They won 2 road games in the tough @SEC beating @LSUBasketball @Vol_Hoops - in both games they faced big deficits - down 18 vs LSU & 17 vs Vols . Both wins vital for wanting to be part of…
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) January 18, 2026
These wins won't force everyone to suddenly believe Kentucky is a Top 15 team again, but the signs are there that the team is starting to find itself a little bit. If they can build on this, they can really make some noise come March.