Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats take down #6 Florida 106-100 to kick off SEC play

Mark Pope got a massive win over the Florida Gators to start SEC play.

Jan 4, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Otega Oweh (0) celebrates during the first half against the Florida Gators at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images / Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats kicked off SEC play with a very important matchup against the #6 Florida Gators and got the big win 106-100.

Florida came out of the gates hot, but the Wildcats were able to settle in, and a 16-0 run gave Kentucky a lead. The Wildcats ended up leading by ten points at the half, which was great to see, as Coach Pope's team has been down at half often against good teams.

Koby Brea had a massive game for the Wildcats as he scored 23 points on 8-11 shooting and 7-9 from three. Brea is the best shooter in college basketball, and it was great to see him shoot the ball well in a crucial game.

Every Kentucky starter scored 14 or more points, which makes a lot of sense, as the Wildcats were able to score 106 points. Florida made a late push, but after the final media timeout, Kentucky continued to make clutch shots, leading to the victory.

The only negative in this game was the rebounding. Heading into this game, rebounding was the number one thing the Wildcats needed to focus on, and they struggled to keep Florida off the offensive glass. The Gators scored a whooping 31 second-chance points in this game. Kentucky is going to have to rebound better in SEC play, but it is excellent that despite this, they found a way to beat a top ten team.

This is a big win for Coach Pope's team, which, without question, proves that the Wildcats are one of the best teams in the SEC and all of college basketball. Winning ranked home games in SEC play is very important and Kentucky got this done in their first opportunity of the new season.