The Kentucky Wildcats will make their 2025 SEC Tournament debut Thursday night vs. the Oklahoma Sooners, who defeated the Georgia Bulldogs 81-75 in Wednesday’s opening round. That included a 16-0 second-half run to put the game effectively on ice.
Game time is set for approximately 9:30 PM ET, though any veteran of watching postseason basketball knows it’s much likelier that tip time is at 10 PM or later.
Thanks to Texas and Texas A&M going into double overtime, this game won’t start until 10:43 PM ET.
Kentucky enters the league tournament with a 21-10 record and a 10-8 mark in what was one of the best conferences in recent memory. As many as three SEC teams will get a 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament, while there could be as many as five teams that earn a top-two seed.
The Wildcats have a chance to be one of the teams that earn a 2-seed, but only if they make a deep run in Nashville. They’re widely projected as a 3-seed right now, but dropping to a 4-seed is very possible if they don’t handle business in their SEC Tournament opener.
Oklahoma, meanwhile, is 20-12 overall and needs to keep winning to lock up a spot in the NCAA Tournament after going 6-12 in SEC play. The Sooners currently sit among the last four teams in the field of 68 in ESPN’s latest Joe Lunardi bracketology.
Beating Georgia ‘should’ have locked up the Sooners’ spot, but you can bet they’re going to keep playing like there’s no tomorrow, especially after losing at home to Kentucky toward the end of regular-season play. It was a highly-contested game that got very heated during the game and in the postgame celebration, even seeing beer cans being thrown at Kentucky players.
Bet on this rematch being another war that goes into the final minutes before deciding a victor.
The winner advances to Friday’s quarterfinal action vs. the 3-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide.
Opposing Players to Watch
G Jeremiah Fears 6-4, 182 lbs
F Jalon Moore 6-7, 215 lbs
- 16.2 PPG (8th in SEC)
- 5.8 RPG
- 36.3% 3P
G Duke Miles 6-2, 188 lbs
Here’s what you need to know for what hopes to be the first of four Kentucky SEC Tournament games in the Music City.
Kentucky Basketball vs. Oklahoma Sooners
Time: Approximately 10:43 PM ET on March 13th, 2025
Location: Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee
TV Channel: SEC Network
Announcers: Karl Ravech, Jimmy Dykes, and Molly McGrath.
Online Stream: ESPN+ and the ESPN app.
Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens will have the call on the UK Sports Radio Network.
Replay: WatchESPN and SEC Network (check local listings).
Odds: FanDuel Sportsbook has Kentucky favored by 6.5 points with an over/under of 159.5. EvanMiya projects Kentucky to be a six-point favorite with a 69.8% chance of winning. KenPom gives Kentucky a 69% chance of winning. BartTorvik has it at 72%, while DRatings is at 71%.
Predictions: EvanMiya picks Kentucky to win 84-78. DRatings went with an 86-80 win for the Cats, while KenPom has them winning 85-80, and BartTorvik has them getting an 86-79 win. I’m going with an 81-79 victory, Kentucky!
How do you see this rematch playing out? Send your Kentucky vs. Oklahoma predictions in the comments section!
And Go Cats!!
