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The Wildcats will look to keep from going 0-3 to start SEC play for the first time in decades.

Mark Pope compared this Kentucky Basketball team to a Ferrari back in October.

Fast-forward to January, and that Ferrari is sitting on blocks in the garage after suffering a Quad III loss (now Quad II) to Missouri in their home opener, where they had an eight-point lead with under five minutes to go.

Expensive and plenty of horsepower, but not actually going anywhere.

That said, the Wildcats don’t have the luxury of time to regroup as they look to avoid their first 0-3 start in SEC play since 1975-76, when Mississippi State comes to Rupp Arena on Saturday night.

Led by fourth-year head coach Chris Jans, the Bulldogs were just 8-5 in the non-conference, but are off to a 2-0 start in SEC play. That includes most recently a 19-point win over Oklahoma on Wednesday.

Kentucky has beaten Mississippi State in 20 of the last 21 meetings, including five straight. However, the teams have played each other very closely in recent seasons, with six of the last seven games decided by five points or less or going into overtime.

This is a must-win for Kentucky on Saturday, for team morale, the fanbase, and right now, hopes to make the NCAA Tournament. With Mississippi State grading as a quad three opponent, the Wildcats do not have the wins to cushion themselves against bad losses.

Let’s take a look at the matchup.

Pick up the pace

After the loss to Missouri, Mark Pope made it very clear that much of Kentucky’s struggles on the offensive end can be attributed to a lack of pace. Opposite of Pope’s offensive philosophy.

I’m really frustrated with our pace and our movement. I’m just really frustrated,” Pope said. “We’re emphasizing every day about sprinting to screens, sprinting to screens, sprinting to screens, and it is like we’re in molasses out there. We’re trying to simplify and dumb things down.

“I’m disappointed in the pace, and I’m disappointed in our willingness to get to a second side. I’m disappointed with our physicality ducking in. When we do that, when we turn the corner on some of those things, we’ll be good, but we’re not gonna be good on the offensive side until we find some pace. We’re just not.”

Too often, there is a lack of ball movement and urgency on the court. Players just sit outside the perimeter, passing it back and forth with little intention until the shot clock forces them to put up a less-than-ideal shot.

Kentucky’s offense needs to play with intention. Players need to commit to each screen and each cut, and most importantly, commit to their roles. That needs to start on Saturday. Those things can help with pace.

Defense to offense

One area Kentucky has excelled in this season is its transition offense. They have been able to do this with outlet passes off of rebounds, but they have been at their best when they are generating turnovers.

Kentucky has been able to force its opponents into double-digit turnovers in five of its last six games, generating an average of nearly 20 points off turnovers.

Mississippi State averages more than 11 turnovers per game, and given that this is the only area that the Kentucky offense has been consistent in, the Wildcats need to take advantage of every one.

Rebounding

After being out-physicaled by Alabama, Kentucky responded much better in that aspect against Missouri for the most part, especially on the glass (until the last box out) and defensively. That will have to sustain as Mississippi State ranks top 20 nationally in rebounding.

That said, they give up more than 10 offensive rebounds per game to their opponents. Meaning, Kentucky will have opportunities to get some extra possessions, as long as they are the more physical team.

Players to watch

G Josh Hubbard 6-0, 190 lbs

23.0 PPG (T-4th nationally)
3.7 APG
42.7% FG

G Jayden Epps 6’2, 190 lbs

16.0 PPG
6.6 3PA

G Shawn Jones Jr 6-6, 205 lbs

5.8 PPG
5.1 RPG
1.9 SPG

Kentucky Basketball vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs

Time: 8:30 PM ET on January 10th, 2026
Location: Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center in Lexington, KY
TV Channel: SEC Network
Announcers: Matt Schumacker, Richard Hendrix
Online Stream: WatchESPN and the ESPN app.
Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens will have the call on the UK Sports Radio Network.
Replay: WatchESPN and the ESPN network (check local listings)
Rosters: UK | MISS ST
Stats to Know:UK | MISS ST
KenPom: UK | MISS ST
Team Sheet: UK | MISS ST

Odds: FanDuel Sportsbook has yet to release the odds for this game, so check back later for those. As far as the metrics, they all favor Kentucky by a substantial amount. BartTorvik is the highest on the Cats at 82%, followed closely by ESPN (79.7%) and KenPom (79%). EvanMiya rounds things out by giving Kentucky a 75.9% chance to win.
Predictions: Haslametrics is the sole metric to pick Kentucky to win by a double-digit margin, 78-66. BartTorvik has the Wildcats winning 79-70, followed closely by EvanMiya (81-73) and KenPom (79-71), who have them winning by eight. I’m going with an 80-75 victory, Kentucky!