Kentucky
Kentucky basketball vs Illinois prediction, pick for 2025 NCAA Tournament second round
Pitino and Calipari face off in March Madness battle of coaching greats
Mackenzie Salmon takes a look at the best games to watch on the first day of second round action in the NCAA Tournament including a battle of coaching legends.
Sports Seriously
MILWAUKEE — Kentucky basketball is on the doorstep of the NCAA Tournament’s second weekend.
But to advance to the Sweet 16 of March Madness for the first time in six years, UK and coach Mark Pope will have to scrape past Illinois.
The Wildcats sealed their place in the Midwest Region’s second round by virtue of a 76-57 win over Troy in Friday’s first round. The Fighting Illini took the court next, downing the Musketeers, 86-73.
The Wildcats’ foe, the Illini, are the region’s 6-seed. Illinois enters Sunday’s game with a 22-12 record on the season. The Illini finished in a tie for seventh in the Big Ten during the regular season, going 13-7. Illinois went 1-1 during the league tournament in Indianapolis, topping Iowa in its opener but falling to Maryland in the quarterfinals.
The Wildcats and Illini will battle Sunday evening at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.
Here’s what to know about Kentucky’s second-round matchup against Illinois:
Illinois has won nearly everything there is in the sport.
Except an NCAA championship.
Yes, the Illini were retroactively awarded titles in 1915 (per the Premo-Porretta Power Poll) and 1943 (by the Helms Athletics Foundation). But neither of those were won on the court.
The closest Illinois has been to that elusive title came in 2005, when it lost in the national championship game to North Carolina. The Illini have appeared in the Final Four on four other occasions; Illinois’ five appearances are tied for second most (alongside Oklahoma) among schools without a championship, trailing Houston’s six.
Friday’s triumph gave the Illini 46 victories in the Big Dance. Among schools that have yet to win a title, that’s third most, behind Purdue (50) and Gonzaga (47).
There will be a familiar face to Kentucky on the opposing sideline Sunday: Illinois associate head coach Orlando Antigua spent eight seasons, in two separate stints, on former coach John Calipari’s staff in Lexington. Antigua now is in his first season at Illinois.
Then there is Tomislav Ivišić.
No, he’s never suited up for UK.
But his twin brother, Zvonimir Ivišić, was part of Kentucky’s program last season. Zvonimir played in 15 games for the Wildcats off the bench in 2023-24, averaging 5.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 11.7 minutes. He then entered the transfer portal and followed Calipari to Arkansas.
Tomislav has had a stellar season for Illinois, leading the team with 11 double-doubles. His most recent: Friday’s win, when he had 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Illinois coach Brad Underwood is in his eighth season guiding the program. After back-to-back sub-.500 seasons to begin his tenure (2017-18 and 2018-19) as he was rebuilding the program, Underwood has molded the Illini into one of the country’s most consistent winners.
Consider:
- It is one of four schools nationally with 20 or more wins during the regular season each of the past six seasons;
- It is the Big Ten’s winningest program in league play in that same span;
- It is the only team in the conference with a winning record against conference competition six years running;
- It has captured three Big Ten titles in the past five years;
- And during the Underwood era, it boasts four All-American selections and 19 All-Big Ten honorees (seven first-teamers).
Buy Kentucky NCAA Tournament tickets vs. Illinois
Kentucky 91, Illinois 89: Expect plenty of points in this one. The Wildcats and Illini are among the top 10 in Division I in scoring offense … and outside the top 250 in scoring defense. UK has found ways to win close games all season. Here’s betting Mark Pope’s outfit strikes upon a winning formula in a tight contest featuring double-digit lead changes, ties and swings in momentum before the Illini’s last-chance 3 at the buzzer grazes the rim.
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Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – Health officials are warning residents about a rise in Cyclospora cases, a parasite that causes an intestinal illness known as cyclosporiasis and can leave people sick for weeks.
The Kentucky Department for Public Health reported 67 cases between June 14 and July 2 — nearly double the approximately 35 cases the state typically sees in an entire year. While cases normally rise in the spring and summer months, Kentucky is among several states seeing a larger-than-typical increase.
Cases likely undercounted, health official says
Cassie Prather of the Woodford County Health Department said the reported numbers are likely an undercount.
“At this point, we have an underreported number of cases because a lot of people will deal with this and their immune system can kick it in a few days,” Prather said. “For those with a suppressed immune system it can lead to quick dehydration or even a hospital visits if they’re dealing with symptoms that don’t go away for 3-5 days.”
How the parasite spreads
People can become infected after eating or drinking contaminated food or water. Fresh produce has been linked to outbreaks in the United States, but the CDC says it is still working to pinpoint the cause of the current increase.
Symptoms and timeline
Symptoms often begin about a week after exposure but can appear as soon as two days or more than two weeks later. The most common symptom is watery diarrhea. People may also experience stomach cramps, nausea, fatigue, bloating, and weight loss. Symptoms can last weeks and sometimes return after improving.
“You’re going to endure stomach cramps, nausea, sometimes you can have a low-grade fever with that,” Prather said.
Prevention guidance
Public health experts urge people to follow food-safety guidelines to reduce the risk of cyclosporiasis and other intestinal illnesses. That includes washing hands with soap and water before and after handling raw fruits and vegetables, and refrigerating cut, peeled, or cooked fruits and vegetables within two hours.
Health officials say people whose symptoms last more than a few days, keep returning, or cause signs of dehydration should contact a healthcare provider for evaluation and possible testing.
Copyright 2026 WKYT. All rights reserved.
What is going on with Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell’s health?
The 84-year-old senator is still hospitalized after nearly three weeks, according to staff. Staff members still have not said why he was admitted.
Like many Kentuckians, I have been following the recent questions surrounding Senator Mitch McConnell’s health and ability to carry out the responsibilities of his office. Every elected official deserves privacy regarding personal medical matters. But when legitimate questions arise about an officeholder’s ability to serve, the public deserves transparency.
Unlike the presidency, the Constitution provides no mechanism for addressing the incapacity of a sitting member of Congress. That makes accountability even more important. At a time when every vote and committee decision can have significant consequences, Kentucky cannot afford uncertainty about whether one of its two senators is fully able to represent the Commonwealth.
Governor Beshear, Senator Rand Paul and Kentucky’s six members of the U.S. House should insist on transparency on behalf of their constituents. Kentuckians deserve an honest assessment of whether Senator McConnell is able to fulfill the duties of the office to which he was elected.
If he is well enough to continue serving, that should be communicated clearly. Weeks of unanswered questions are not fair to Senator McConnell, nor are they fair to the people he was elected to serve. I hope my fellow Kentuckians will join me in urging our elected officials to be transparent and put the interests of Kentucky first.
— Kate Caverno, 40245
By West Kentucky Star staff
Jul. 07, 2026 | 10:07 PM
| PADUCAH
The US 51/Cairo Bridge will remain closed for a period of time.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet announced Tuesday the connector between Wickliffe and Cairo was closed Monday as crews conducted a special inspection and identified a problem with a bearing pad on the Kentucky approach.
A bearing pad shifted out of place, causing the bridge deck to become misaligned by approximately two to three inches at an expansion joint. A repair is needed.
Bearing pads function like cartilage between joints, supporting steel beams while accommodating the bridge’s natural expansion and contraction.
There are no concerns about the bridge’s overall structural integrity.
The repair will require crews to lift a heavy section of the bridge deck to replace the bearing pad. State engineers are working with the contractor and design team to finalize a repair plan as quickly as possible.
There is currently no estimated timeline for reopening the bridge. Motorists should continue to use alternate routes and expect the bridge to remain closed until the necessary repairs have been completed.
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