Kentucky missed out on a major opportunity to give its at-large odds the hint of a pulse on Saturday night, but COVID-19 is not going to snatch a second chance from its grasp. What it has done, though, is delay it.

According to a university press release, the Wildcats’ matchup at No. 18 Missouri has been rescheduled for Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. E.T. It will be Kentucky’s first game since their 70-59 loss in Tuscaloosa last Tuesday, which dropped them to 5-10 on the year.

The schedule adjustment comes after the Wildcat program was put on 48-hour pause due to “a combination of positive testing, contact tracing and subsequent quarantining of individuals” on Friday afternoon.

The mandatory off time – which was consistent with school and conference COVID-19 management requirements – led to the cancellation of the highly anticipated primetime meeting between the Cats and then-No. 5 Texas, which was one of the headliners for the SEC/Big 12 Challenge. The SEC ended up winning the challenge outright for just the second time in eight years despite the Cats not suiting up.

Kentucky now only has conference games left on its schedule, giving it nine more frames to boost its record and make an unlikely push toward an at-large NCAA Tournament bid. The surprising Tigers serve as the leadoff hitter to a dynamic top of the order (Mizzou, Tennessee, Arkansas), all of whom are ranked in the top 40 of the NET.

The Wildcats ultimately face off with the Tigers just 22 hours later than initially slated. Wednesday’s tip off can be seen on ESPN2.