Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope. Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Kentucky hits 'rock bottom' after collapse against Missouri sends Wildcats to 0-2 in SEC play

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Jan 7, 2026 9:46 PM ET

Boobirds were out in full force at Rupp Arena on Wednesday as the Kentucky Wildcats (9-6, 0-2 SEC) collapsed over the final four-and-a-half minutes against the Missouri Tigers (12-3, 2-0 SEC) in a 73-68 loss.

The loss is the first time since the 2012-13 season that Kentucky lost its SEC home opener.

Kentucky had pulled out to a 66-58 lead with 4:37 to go, but the Tigers scored 15 of the final 17 points in the game and held on for a huge road win.

Jaland Lowe had an opportunity to tie the game with three seconds left, but he missed a three-point attempt badly before Jayden Stone iced the game with a pair of free throws.

Kentucky Sports Radio host Brandon Ramsey seemed particularly unhappy with the loss, claiming that it's "rock bottom" for Kentucky basketball.

Rock bottom in Lexington.

Complete, unmitigated disaster in the final minutes.

A truly epic collapse that puts Kentucky in serious NCAA Tournament jeopardy.

Embarrassing. Completely embarrassing.
— Brandon Ramsey (@BRamseyKSR) January 8, 2026

Mark Pope, Kentucky in trouble

The Wildcats had seemed to hit their stride after big nonconference wins over Indiana and St. John's. But an 89-74 loss to No. 13 Alabama saw UK revert to the same form it was in when it dropped nonconference games to North Carolina, Gonzaga and Michigan State.

Meanwhile, Missouri has been a positive surprise early in conference play. The Tigers took down defending national champion Florida at home on Jan. 3 and will travel to a struggling Ole Miss team on Jan. 10 with a chance to get to 3-0 in SEC play.

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

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