Kentucky

Experts divided on Kentucky’s NCAA Tournament prospects

Published

9 months ago

March 19, 2025

Experts divided on Kentucky’s NCAA Tournament prospects

With the NCAA Tournament just around the corner, the Kentucky Wildcats’ chances of making a deep run are being hotly debated by experts and analysts. Opinions are split, as injury issues and inconsistent performances throughout the season have clouded the Wildcats’ outlook.

Second-Round Exits Predicted by Many

A significant number of analysts are predicting an early exit for Kentucky, with most projecting a loss in the second round. ESPN’s Jeff Borzello has the Wildcats defeating Troy 88-74 in the first round but falling to Illinois in a nail-biter, 87-85. Similarly, The Athletic’s CJ Moore isn’t convinced Kentucky can overcome the Illini, citing injury concerns.

“Illinois has been a wild ride this year,” Moore wrote. “Every time I start to believe in the Illini, they give me good reason to jump off the bandwagon. But they have been much better with a healthy Tomislav Ivisic. Kentucky, meanwhile, is limping into the tournament and has been injury-riddled all season. If Lamont Butler were back to his usual self, I’d maybe lean Kentucky, but it doesn’t seem like his shoulder is ever going to be the same.”

Jay Williams, an ESPN analyst and former Duke star, isn’t optimistic about Kentucky’s chances either, predicting the Wildcats will lose in the Round of 32 to either Texas or Xavier. Molly Qerim, host of First Take, also doubts Kentucky’s staying power, picking them to lose to Illinois in the second round.

CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish and The Field of 68 John Fanta also share the sentiment of an early exit, while Kyle Boone of SB Nation and Kevin Sweeney of Sports Illustrated agree that Illinois will likely end Kentucky’s run in the second round.

Sweet 16 and Elite Eight Hopes

Not everyone is predicting doom and gloom for the Wildcats, though. CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander believes Kentucky can overcome Tennessee to reach the Elite Eight, though he doesn’t see them getting past Houston.

“Offense beating defense, and I’m making this pick specifically because I think if Lamont Butler is healthy enough, they’ve got the depth and the style of play,” Norlander said. “I will trust Kentucky to get it done this season.”

College basketball legend and analyst Dick Vitale, affectionately known as “Dickie V,” sees Kentucky’s journey ending in the Sweet 16 against Tennessee, along with ESPN’s Elle Duncan has the Wildcats advancing to the Sweet 16 but losing to Tennessee,

Several other analysts, including The Sporting News’ Mike DeCourcy and Bill Bender, have Kentucky reaching the Sweet 16 before bowing out. Pat Forde from Sports Illustrated and Rickey O’Donnell from SB Nation also picked the Wildcats to advance to the Sweet 16 but no further.

According to FanDuel, Kentucky’s odd to make it to the Final Four are +1000.

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A Bold Final Four Prediction

In contrast to the skepticism, The Athletic’s Lindsay Schnell has made the boldest prediction by picking Kentucky to reach the Final Four. Schnell acknowledged the risk of picking a team with so many injuries but expressed confidence in head coach Mark Pope and the team’s ability to overcome adversity.

“Picking a bracket is only fun if you’re willing to take chances, and with that in mind, I present the Final Four-bound Kentucky Wildcats,” Schnell wrote. “Am I second-guessing my decision upon remembering that Jaxson Robinson is out for the season? Yes. But I’m going all in on Mark Pope, Amari Williams, and Otega Oweh.”

College Gameday Crew Skeptical

The College Gameday crew wasn’t as optimistic, with none of the panelists picking Kentucky to make the Elite Eight. Jay Bilas, in particular, cited injury concerns, despite Mark Pope’s assurance that Lamont Butler would return for the tournament.

With predictions all over the map, one thing is clear: Kentucky’s potential run in March Madness will depend heavily on their health and ability to perform under pressure. The Wildcats open tournament play as the No. 3 seed against No. 14 seed Troy on Friday night.

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Kentucky

Maverick McIvor rallies Western Kentucky to a New Orleans Bowl victory, beating Southern Miss 27-16

Published

3 hours ago

December 24, 2025

Press Room

Maverick McIvor rallies Western Kentucky to a New Orleans Bowl victory, beating Southern Miss 27-16

NEW ORLEANS (AP) Quarterback Maverick McIvor came off the bench to lead three second-half touchdown drives and Western Kentucky rallied to beat Southern Mississippi 27-16 on Tuesday night to win the New Orleans Bowl at Caesars Superdome.

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Kentucky

Kentucky Basketball defeats Bellarmine: 3 things to know and postgame cheers

Published

15 hours ago

December 23, 2025

Press Room

Kentucky Basketball defeats Bellarmine: 3 things to know and postgame cheers

The Kentucky Wildcats will head off into the Christmas break on a winning streak after defeating Bellarmine by a final score of 99-85.

In a game Kentucky was favored to win by 35.5 points, the Knights came out strong and stayed within striking distance much of the way.

Thankfully, big days by Kam Williams (26 points) and Mo Dioubate (20) helped the Cats get to the finish line for win No. 9.

Otega Oweh flirted with a triple-double, going for 10 points, 10 assists, and eight boards.

Jaland Lowe sat out this game as Kentucky manages his shoulder injury, while Jayden Quaintance played just eight minutes as he continues to improve his conditioning following a nine-month layoff from ACL surgery.

Here’s what you need to know from Kentucky’s final game of 2025.

Kam Williams stole the show

Kentucky may have beaten Bellarmine by 14, but this game didn’t start like a runaway. It started like exactly what it was: a 1 p.m. Tuesday tip right before Christmas, with Kentucky taking a while to find its legs.

If you’re naming an MVP, it’s Kam Williams, no debate.

He buried 8 of his 10 3s and finished with 26 points, giving Kentucky the exact kind of perimeter punch that changes how defenses have to play them. Kentucky has been searching for a dependable shooter to emerge, and this was the loudest answer they’ve had in a while.

Bellarmine never let Kentucky run away

Kentucky led 46-38 at halftime, but Bellarmine made it work early by shooting well and living at the line.

Bellarmine shot 52% in the first half and went 10-for-10 on free throws. Kentucky shot even better (55%) and hit 7 threes, but the Knights were annoying in the way you don’t want a midweek opponent to be.

They cut it to three late in the half, and you could feel the “are we really doing this today?” vibe for a moment.

Thankfully, Kentucky flipped the game with a much better second-half start.

The Cats came out of the locker room sharper, built the lead to 74-56 with just over 10 minutes left, and basically removed the drama, though the Knights would stay within 12-14 points down the stretch as both teams traded score for score.

Balance shows up with 10 scorers

Kentucky had 10 different players score, which is an underrated reason the second half never got weird again. Brandon Garrison is the only player who played for the Cats who didn’t score, and he didn’t attempt a shot.

On days when the start is sluggish, balance keeps you from pressing. It also keeps your rotation engaged, which matters heading into a stretch where Kentucky is going to need everyone ready to contribute.

Bellarmine deserves credit for hanging around early, including 14 first-half points from Jack Karasinski, but Kentucky’s shooting punch and depth eventually made the gap feel inevitable even though Karasinski finished with 24.

Kentucky didn’t play a perfect game. It played a winning one. And when Kam Williams shoots like that, it’s a lot easier to look like yourself.

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Drew Holbrook has been covering the Cats for over 10 years. In his free time he enjoys downtime with his family and Premier League soccer. You can find him on X here. Micah 7:7. #UptheAlbion

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Is Kentucky basketball looking for a mid-year addition at backup point guard?

Published

1 day ago

December 23, 2025

Press Room

Is Kentucky basketball looking for a mid-year addition at backup point guard?

It’s clear that this Kentucky team relies very heavily on its starting point guard, Jaland Lowe. It has been evident that when he’s out, Kentucky struggles to create any offense, but when he’s in, it couldn’t flow any smoother. A big part of that is the fact that the Wildcats don’t really have a backup point guard. Denzel Aberdeen isn’t really a true point guard, and Jasper Johnson has flashy moments through a bunch of struggles as a young freshmen. But, it all comes down to Lowe’s health, who could go out any second with his shoulder injury.

We’ve already seen it multiple times this season, in the last two games specifically. Lowe went out against Indiana during the first half, playing just 9 minutes before following it up with a 16-minute second half, when the Wildcats rallied down the stretch. Then, Saturday against Rick Pitino and St. John’s, Lowe hurt his shoulder again just seven seconds after checking into the game. He then returned early in the second half before his team rallied yet again. He’s a difference-maker, clearly, but is Mark Pope interested in adding a mid-year player through the transfer portal to back him up in case things go south? He addressed those swirling rumors on his radio show Monday night.

First of all, Pope fully expects Lowe to remain healthy, or at least continue playing through the pain. “I have every expectation Jaland is going to be with us the whole season,” Pope said. As far as a mid-year addition goes as a backup for Lowe, Pope has the utmost confidence in his guys to get it done, in particular Denzel Aberdeen and Jasper Johnson, who he says are getting more and more comfortable at that position. “We have a great roster. I’m not sure we’re shopping a lot right now,” Pope said when asked about a possible addition to the roster. “We have an unbelievable amount of faith in our guys, first of all, with Jaland. Jasper is going to grow into a starring role. He’s been so good. D.A. is becoming more and more and more comfortable becoming a full-time point, but also being on the move at the two. …I think we have an incredible, incredible run ahead of us. That’s what we’re thinking about with this roster right now.”

Well, there you have it. Mark Pope is comfortable with guys he has. He likely doesn’t want to also take the chance of interrupting the team chemistry either, especially right now as Kentucky is coming off back-to-back wins over quality opponents and as soon as they’ve gotten healthy.

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