Defeating Mississippi State in 19 consecutive regular-season meetings since the 2008-09 season, Kentucky is now 13-3 overall and 2-1 in conference play. This latest win came right after their loss to Georgia, and honestly, they were on the brink of another one until Mark Pope’s “perfect piece” came along. Who’s the perfect piece, you ask? 

None other than Ansley Almonor, the 6-foot-7 forward who practically rescued Kentucky in Starkville. Coach Pope couldn’t help but rave about Almonor, saying, “I love when players make coaches look really smart ‘cause we’re not, but sometimes they make us look smart, and Ansley did that tonight.” 

Honestly, it was a stroke of genius. Coming off the bench, the senior shocked the Humphrey Coliseum crowd. He logged 11 points in just 19 minutes of play, shooting 4-for-7 from the field and nailing 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. But it wasn’t just the numbers, it was the timing. 

Almonor delivered clutch 3-pointers when Kentucky needed them the most. In an important stretch during the second half, the Wildcats were teetering on the edge of another SEC loss. But thankfully, the FDU transfer entered the game. His first three-pointer gave Kentucky the lead, the second created some breathing room, and the third extended the lead to seven. 

Those two minutes of excellence sealed the deal, allowing the Wildcats to clinch a 95-90 victory. After the game, Coach Pope (and all of us) couldn’t stop singing Almonor’s praises. “This is really special because he came here understanding what he was walking into,” he said. 

“The roster was basically done; Andrew Carr was sitting there, and yet Ansley said, ‘I’m coming anyway.’” The head coach reminded the reporter, “You probably remember me saying this many times, ‘Ansley Almanor is a perfect fit.'” He recalled predicting how he compliments Kentucky’s style of play and “he is going to win them some games.” After Saturday night, no one’s questioning that statement.

Obviously, things weren’t always so certain for Almonor. Coming into the season, many doubted whether he could make the leap from Fairleigh Dickinson to the SEC. At FDU, Almonor averaged 16.4 points and 5.1 rebounds. But could he handle the physicality and pace of SEC basketball? Well, now we know, he absolutely belongs at this level.

And the coach got reflective about it, saying, “This is why you come to Kentucky.” He added that you could be ‘a hundred times over a billionaire,’ but you can never buy what Ansley Almonor did. “The blood, sweat, equity, and courage it took to come here and then step up and deliver? There’s only one way to get it, and it’s doing everything he’s done to get here,” he asserted.

And then he added with a grin, “I’m so happy for him. That was fun, man. That was super fun.” But you know what else was fun? Almonor’s post-game clapback at Mississippi State. After the game, he held up one of the papers that read, “Beat Kentucky” and posted it on his Instagram story with a caption, “Damn, not this year.” 

Now, that’s how you do it in style.

However, while it’s all cheers, Kentucky’s conference slate has taken a toll on their position. According to ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, Kentucky basketball has fallen to a No. 4 seed in the latest Bracketology projection.

Mark Pope’s Kentucky falls to no. 4 seed

The SEC is undeniably one of the toughest conferences. Not long ago, Mark Pope & Co. were riding high as a No. 1 seed, a position they earned back in December after a dominant home win over Louisville. But since then, the Wildcats have slipped. 

Losses to Ohio State in New York and Georgia on the road, combined with inconsistent performances, have dropped them from a No. 1 to a No. 2, then to a No. 3, and now to a No. 4 seed. This latest projection places Kentucky in the West Region, where they’d open in Seattle.

Interestingly, that’s where they pulled off an 18-point comeback win over Gonzaga earlier this season. If they beat No. 13 seed UTEP in the opening round, they’d face Gonzaga again in the Round of 32. Basically, the path only gets tougher from here.

But we hope this win against Mississippi State helps Kentucky keep up the rhythm. As they gear up to face Texas A&M next, and maybe, if they snag that too, it can help nudge them back up the rankings.