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.

The races start getting bigger on the Road to the Kentucky Derby starting with Saturday’s $1 million Louisiana Derby. The 10 entries in the Grade 2 race at 1 3/16 miles headlines a big 12-race card with eight stakes races at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans. The Louisiana Derby is a Championship Series race that will award 100-50-25-15-10 qualifying points to the top five finishers with the winner and runner-up securing a spot in the starting gate May 3 for the $5 million Kentucky Derby if not otherwise qualified.

The 112th running of the Louisiana Derby is Race 12 at 6:42 p.m. ET. Race 11 is the $400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) for 3-year-old fillies with the same qualifying points awarded towards the May 2 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs.

Louisiana Derby Field, Odds And Picks

The Louisiana Derby is worth watching, as 44 starters in both the Risen Star and Louisiana Derby have run in the Kentucky Derby since 2013. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th place finishers from this year’s Risen Star Stakes are running in the Louisiana Derby – Chunk of Gold (8/1), Built (4/1) and Vassimo (12/1). They will try to beat the race favorite John Hancock (7/2), who is 2-for-2 and makes his first start outside of Florida.

Horse Racing Nation’s Super Screener likes win contenders Built, John Hancock and Caldera (5/1), who has moved forward in each of his three races and finished a close 2nd in the Sunland Derby last month for legendary trainer D. Wayne Lukas. Caldera lost by a nose to Kentucky Derby contender Getaway Car.

But as you watch and wager on the races, know that only two winners of the Louisiana Derby have gone on to win the Kentucky Derby: Black Gold in 1924, and Grindstone in 1996. The 1988 Louisiana Derby winner, Risen Star, went on to become a “Dual Classic Winner” by winning the Preakness and Belmont Stakes. Howerver, 4th place Louisiana Derby finisher Country House won the controversial 2019 Kentucky Derby at longshot odds of 65/1.

Another major prep race Saturday offering 100 Derby points to the winner is the $777,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) at Turfway Park in Florence, Kentucky. Horse Racing Nation top win contenders include #6 Baby Max (7/2) and #12 He’s Not Joking (20/1), also a top longshot.

How To Watch And Wager On The Louisiana Derby

Along with wagering on the biggest races at FanDuel Racing, horse racing fans can tune into FanDuelTV for live on-site coverage of the two major Derby preps at Fair Grounds and Turfway Park. CNBC’s Road to the Kentucky Derby coverage also has live coverage of the two big races from 6-7 p.m. ET on Sat., March 22 while also streaming on Peacock.

Both races are part of the “Bayou Bluegrass 5,” with an estimated $1 million guaranteed all-graded stakes Pick 5. It starts with Race 8 for older horses at the Fair Grounds in the $500,000 New Orleans Classic featuring Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Sierra Leone, the heavy 7/5 ace favorite.

Fair Grounds Oaks Picks

If you would like to see the Kentucky Oaks favorite run one final time, then tune into the Fair Grounds Oaks Saturday. Both Horse Racing Nation and FanDuel Racing project Good Cheer (6/5) to win her sixth straight race to start her career. Good Cheer “clearly possesses the highest Super Screener Energy Reserve Index Score in this field,” according to Horse Racing Nation.

More horse racing, live betting and handicapping including the National Horseplayers Championship which was last weekend in Las Vegas. Now horse players are prepping for the biggest races on the Road to the Kentucky Derby with the Run for the Roses less than six weeks away.

You can bet on it.

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On April 12, Maryland’s Historic St. Mary’s City will open the doors of its reconstructed Brick Chapel. Visitors will be able to explore the fully completed interior, including the altar, altar rail, and tabernacle, for the first time since its closure over 300 years ago.

The Brick Chapel, originally built in 1667, has been dormant for over three centuries. Its reopening marks the culmination of decades of archaeological research, historical study, and preservation efforts dedicated to one of Maryland’s sites of religious freedom. 

At 1:00 p.m. on the day of the opening, Sheriff Steve Hall will ceremonially unlock the doors, symbolically reversing the 1704 closure by Sheriff John Coode. This act invites the public to step into Maryland’s cradle of religious freedom.

Travis G. Parno, PhD, will serve as the Master of Ceremonies for the opening event and will also emcee the lecture series, discussing future plans. An afternoon lecture series will begin at 1:30 p.m. in the Visitor Center Auditorium at 18751 Hogaboom Lane, St. Mary’s City, Maryland. Seating for both the opening session and the lecture series is first come, first served; there is no reserved seating, according to The BayNet.

Henry Miller, PhD, Senior Research Fellow at Historic St. Mary’s City, will speak on history and goals. “The Chapel Exhibit is a major step in telling the public about two of Maryland’s most significant legacies, Liberty of Conscience and the Free Exercise of Religion as official policies of a government,” he said, according to The Southern Maryland Chronicle. He added, “At the same time, it also represents the beginning place of the Catholic Faith in the English colonies that became the United States.”

The Brick Chapel is not just a building; it is a time capsule that includes additional exhibit elements relating the story of how archaeological study has contributed to the understanding of 17th-century religious practice. Artifacts like lead cames and Jesuit rings guided the rebuild of the chapel, according to Historic St. Mary’s City archives cited by The Southern Maryland Chronicle.

Since excavations began in the 1930s, over 200 burials have surfaced nearby, according to site records. These burials whisper tales of early settlers and reveal 17th-century faith practices. The site was rediscovered through archaeological excavations in the 20th century and has been reborn through grit and archaeology.

After its closure in 1704 by order of the royal governor, the bricks of the Brick Chapel were repurposed for other structures, having been scattered by royal decree. The reopening of the chapel marks a homecoming for a site that shaped America’s early tolerance, according to The BayNet.

Historic St. Mary’s City is set on the banks of the St. Mary’s River. The museum spans hundreds of acres, with ongoing archaeological excavations, historical reconstructions, and exhibits. Through research, education, and storytelling, Historic St. Mary’s City connects the present with the past. It offers a deeper understanding of the people, cultures, and ideas that shaped early America.

The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.