Kentucky basketball vs Illinois prediction, pick for 2025 NCAA Tournament second round

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.