NASHVILLE — There won’t be a SEC Tournament semifinal Saturday for Kentucky basketball.
UK, the No. 9 seed in this year’s event, fell to top-seeded Florida for the third time in as many games this season, with the Wildcats dropping a 71-63 decision in Friday’s quarterfinal at Bridgestone Arena.
Kentucky (21-13) and coach Mark Pope now head back to Lexington prepare for Selection Sunday, when they’ll learn their destination and opponent to kick off this year’s NCAA Tournament. Florida (26-6) moves into the SEC Tournament semifinals, playing at 1 p.m. ET Saturday against the winner of Friday’s quarterfinal between 4-seed Vanderbilt and 5-seed Tennessee.
Here are three takeaways from the Wildcats‘ eight-point setback:
Florida is a tough ask for Kentucky. Would be best for the Cats to avoid the Gators in the NCAA Tournament.
Alabama was a bad matchup for Kentucky last season. The Crimson Tide won all three meetings with the Cats in 2024-25.
The Gators duplicated that 3-for-3 feat Friday.
But this Florida squad arguably is an even more formidable foe for UK. That’s because the Gators never trailed at any point in their three contests versus the Wildcats this season.
That’s right: Kentucky and Florida played 180 minutes of basketball this season. UK didn’t manage to find itself on the right side of the scoreboard for a single second.
It’s a stunning stat to look at. Even more so when one considers Kentucky’s status as the winningest program in the history of the sport. But the past two seasons, it’s unquestionable Florida has been better. The Gators swept the SEC and NCAA tournament titles last season. They’re trying to go back to back in both events a year later.
Needless to say, the Wildcats should cross their fingers they’re not in the same region as the Gators in the Big Dance. Recent history shows UK might as well pencil in a loss if it’s able to set up a fourth showdown with the best the SEC has to offer.
Kentucky forward Mouhamed Dioubate provides another stellar performance
In a loss, it can be easy to lose sight of players who fare well. And ever since Mouhamed Dioubate lost his place in Kentucky’s lineup in the middle of January, his contributions largely have flown under the radar.
But he was front and center Friday.
He was the Wildcats’ second-leading scorer, ending with 14 points. (Denzel Aberdeen took top honors with 17.) The manner in which Dioubate achieved his total was nothing short of stunning.
Dioubate entered Friday’s game hitting an almost-hard-to-believe 13% of his 3-point attempts this season. He had missed 20 of the 23 he’d tried in 2025-26. So of course, he sank back-to-back triples during a 10-0 run in the first half that tied the game at 20-all after Kentucky found itself in a 20-10 hole.
Dioubate missed his only other 3-point attempt (it occurred with less than five minutes to play) in Friday’s loss. Yet he accounted for nearly half of Kentucky’s production in that category; the rest of the team went 3 for 20 from distance. (Aberdeen and Collin Chandler had the others.)
While Dioubate’s 3s were an unexpected bonus, Friday marked the fourth time in the past seven games he tallied at least 10 points. The only other time this season he put together a similar run of double-digit scoring displays occurred before the calendar turned to 2026. That’s back when Dioubate still was part of the starting five.
He may not be on the floor at the beginning of games anymore.
But Friday was the latest example he’s comfortably fit into his role as a spark off the bench.
Wildcats dominated on the glass Friday. They’ll exit March Madness early if that happens again
Beating Florida on the boards in any game is an achievement in and of itself.
The Gators lead the nation in rebounds per game, offensive rebounds per game and rebound margin, while they’re No. 4 in Division I — tops in the SEC, though — in defensive rebounds per outing.
It would surprise no one to learn Florida won all of those categories Friday.
What was notable, however, was the disparity.
Total rebounds: Florida 50, Kentucky 29.
Offensive rebounds: Florida 18, Kentucky 8.
Defensive rebounds: Florida 32, Kentucky 21.
That advantage on the offensive glass gave the Gators a 21-8 edge in second-chance points.
It’s not as if the Wildcats regularly struggle in this department. They ranked in the top half of the SEC in those four aforementioned categories, including No. 4 in rebound margin.
The Gators simply are many degrees of magnitude better.
UK can rest easy knowing no team it faces in the early portion of the NCAA Tournament will be anywhere close to Florida’s equal in that regard.
Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky basketball SEC Tournament loss to Florida, UK March Madness