Kentucky Looks to Bounce Back at Home Against Georgia

Wildcats aim to protect home court after loss at Florida, while Bulldogs fight for NCAA Tournament hopes

Feb. 18, 2026 at 4:47am

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Kentucky will host Georgia in a key SEC matchup, as the Wildcats look to protect their home court dominance against the Bulldogs. Kentucky is coming off a loss at Florida, while Georgia has dropped 5 of its last 6 games and is fighting to keep its NCAA Tournament hopes alive.

Why it matters

This game is crucial for both teams' postseason aspirations. Kentucky is trying to bounce back from its loss at Florida and maintain its strong home record against Georgia. Meanwhile, Georgia is in desperation mode, needing to rack up quality wins to bolster its NCAA Tournament resume after a recent slide.

The details

Kentucky is led by sophomore guard Collin Chandler, who has been a sharpshooter from 3-point range. Otega Oweh and Denzel Aberdeen also provide scoring punch for the Wildcats. Georgia has been led by Jeremiah Wilkinson, who is dealing with a shoulder injury, and also gets contributions from Blue Cain and Marcus Millender. The Bulldogs let a second-half lead slip away in a loss at Oklahoma last time out.

  • Kentucky hasn't lost at home to Georgia since March 2009.
  • The game will take place on Tuesday in Lexington.

The players

Collin Chandler

Kentucky's sophomore guard is the team's leader in 3-pointers made and 3-point percentage.

Jeremiah Wilkinson

Georgia's leading scorer at 17.1 points per game, but his status is uncertain due to a shoulder injury.

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What they’re saying

“Our guys are always resilient. That's who we are. I'm not surprised about (the rally). That's our expectation. Our guys are fighters and they're not going to stop. They're not going to sit down. We just weren't quite good enough.”

— Mark Pope, Kentucky Head Coach

“We need to challenge these guys, encourage these guys, educate these guys. We've just got to make more winning plays. It starts with me and our staff helping these guys understand how that looks.”

— Mike White, Georgia Head Coach

What’s next

The winner of this game will take a big step towards improving their postseason positioning in the SEC standings.

The takeaway

This matchup between Kentucky and Georgia has major implications for both teams' NCAA Tournament hopes, as the Wildcats look to protect their home court dominance and the Bulldogs fight to get back on track after a recent slide.