Kentucky basketball’s dismal performance in the SEC Tournament ensures their second straight one-and-done fate.

Tennessee’s Nashville Wade Taylor IV turned to face the audience and let the Kentucky-heavy contingent know what had happened after he saw Texas A&M miss yet another 3-point attempt in the first half of the game on Friday night.

With 4:02 left in the half, Taylor’s triple gave the Aggies a 40-34 lead and ended the Wildcats’ 7-0 run. Not only was it a game-ending shot for UK, but it also continued Texas A&M’s surprising 3-point shooting ability. Entering Friday’s SEC Tournament quarterfinal, the Aggies had made fewer than seven 3-pointers per game. Prior to halftime, Taylor’s bucket was the Aggies’ seventh.

Kentucky wasn’t at its best on a night when it needed to be, against a team pushing for a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

The second-seeded UK team in the SEC Tournament finished first in the competition for the second consecutive season and the third time in its previous four outings, losing 97-87 to seventh-seeded Texas A&M at Bridgestone Arena.

“The manner they performed in that game was deserved,” Kentucky coach John Calipari stated. “Once more, we forfeit 97. “How many games will you win if you concede 97 points?”

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Zvonimir Ivisic, a forward for the Wildcats, holds Aggies forward Andersson Garcia during a rebound attempt and is given a foul call on Friday night.
Not only did the Wildcats (23-9) lose on Friday—in what was essentially a home game with throngs of UK supporters swarming Nashville—but it was also the way they lost, just their second defeat in their previous nine games—in an event that coach Calipari once ruled, winning six times in his first nine seasons (including four straight from 2015 through 2018).

The Aggies (20–13) were unstoppable from start to finish. For over 38 minutes, they held the lead. For forty-one seconds, the UK was on the right side of the ledger. There were just three ties in a game that Kentucky lost by ten points.

“We just weren’t ourselves today,” Calipari remarked. “I want to acknowledge A&M for their strong performance. They performed admirably today.”

“Good stuff,” like: A&M prevailed 38–34 in the battle of the boards. It scored more points on second-chance opportunities (26–9), off turnovers (18–4), and in the paint (36–30).

“They came out, they fought, they were physical,” freshman guard Reed Sheppard of the United Kingdom said of Texas A&M, who with their victory guaranteed a spot in Saturday’s semifinal round. “We were prepared for a physically demanding contest. We didn’t play as much as we ought to have.”

Even more unexpectedly, the Aggies defeated the Wildcats in the area of fast-break points (18–14). Texas A&M and UK were tied for 13th place in Division I in adjusted pace (possessions per 40 minutes, which are adjusted based on the opponent) as of Friday, according to KenPom. Among conference clubs, only Alabama (72.6) was ahead of UK (72.5).

The Aggies were content to keep up with the Wildcats rather than slowing down the pace. Furthermore, defensively, as has been a weakness for the most of the season, Kentucky was unable to provide many solutions.