Mark Pope and his wildcats continue to dance. It was a monumental night for Kentucky. They dominated 14th-seed Troy in convincing fashion. For Pope, it was extra special! It was his first-ever March Madness win. And he couldn’t hide his excitement. “Our life gets really simple right now,” he said fully prepared at the prospect of facing Brad Underwood’s Illinois. But Illinois will do everything it can to make life difficult for Pope and his team!
March Madness hasn’t been kind to the Wildcats since 2019. Under Hall of Famer John Calipari, the furthest they’ve gone is the Round of 32.This year? Doubts lingered again! Mark Pope entered the tournament with a 0-2 NCAA record. Skepticism was everywhere. And even after their dominant win over Troy, analysts aren’t fully convinced.
Analysts at the Field of 68: After Dark podcast certainly have Brad Underwood’s team as their favorite for the game. “Everybody is on Illinois,” said Rob Dauster when talking about the buildup. Jeff Goodman further gave reasons as to why Illinois will start the game as favorite.
He said, ” Yeah well Kentucky… still you would look at them and they don’t blow you away. Illinois you look at what they just did and you’re like holy —- like if Will Riley plays like that again if Kylan Boswell plays like that again yeah it shouldn’t even be close.” Goodman’s point is backed by data: Illinois’ 86-73 dismantling of Xavier on March 21 featured a blistering 40% from three (12-of-30), exposing Kentucky’s vulnerability to perimeter shooting, a trend that’s haunted them all season.
NCAA, College League, USA Basketball: Auburn at Kentucky Mar 1, 2025 Lexington, Kentucky, USA Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope looks on during the first half against the Auburn Tigers at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Lexington Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center Kentucky USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xJordanxPratherx 20250301_cec_li0_059
Illinois are on the back of a huge win against Xavier themselves. Will Riley shot 3-4 from the three point line and Kylan Boswell complemented him well by shooting 3-4 from beyond the arc as well. If they shoot like that again? Kentucky is in serious trouble. The Wildcats are one of the worst defensive units in the country, letting their opposition score close to 77 points a game.
If Mark Pope can’t find a fix, this could turn into a very long night for the wildcats. That said the Wildcats are focused on the job at hand.
Mark Pope and co focused on the job at hand
For most of the Kentucky players including their head coach, this was their first big dance win. But for senior guard Koby Brea this wasn’t the first! Having already reached the second round with Dayton, the guard knows that they can’t be celebrating the first round win for long and is confident about that.
“We beat Nevada in the first round last year. It was a crazy game that we came back and won,” said Brea. “It’s a pretty quick turnaround so you can’t stay stuck on the first win too much. It’s kind of the same (as last year) but with a new group of guys and coaching staff. I feel like we have a good thing coming into this next game.”
Brea’s experience is critical which could counter Illinois’ shooters, but his teammates must match his intensity amidst a lingering injury crisis
Regardless of what the analysts have to say about Kentucky, they will still head into Milwaukee as favorites. ESPN gives them a 52.6% chance of coming away with a win. Although it’s not a big margin, Pope will hope his players will step up. The guard was instrumental in the win against Troy, scoring 13 points off the bench. Yet, Kentucky’s edge is precarious—key players like Lamont Butler (shoulder) and Amari Williams (back) are gutting through injuries, with Butler admitting post-Troy, “I made it through,” signaling he’s far from 100%.
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