The Kentucky Wildcats men’s basketball team will be trying to make a berth in this year’s NCAA Tournament, taking on Santa Clara on Friday. This is a welcome upset because the Broncos are very good at areas where Kentucky is weak, such as rebounding and defending the perimeter.
Injuries and inconsistent play have hampered the Wildcats all season, causing them to begin March Madness as the seventh seed, a position they are not accustomed to. Reaching the Sweet 16 and beyond will be difficult, and few think they’ll advance.
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Predicting the NCAA Tournament is a time-honored tradition. Fans and pundits put their predictions to the test every year, and ESPN analyst Jay Bilas now gives his thoughts on how things will play out, including how Kentucky performs.
Bilas was concerned about the Cats in the first round but picked them to win.
Kentucky is weak and inconsistent, while Santa Clara is long, skilled and has position size at nearly every position. To be clear: Kentucky will likely be upset here. Assuming Ortega Ovie has another big game, though, I’ll go with the Wildcats.
If Kentucky does win in the first round, they could face a tough task in the second round. Iowa State has been in the top five at times this year and has a good chance of moving forward. Bilas agreed.
Kentucky is hurt and a little tired. Iowa State has Joshua Jefferson, one of the most versatile and talented point forwards in the game, who happened to be averaging career highs in points (16.9), rebounds (7.6) and assists (4.9) as a sophomore. Advancing Iowa.
If it plays out this way, it would be a logical end to a disappointing season, and even Kentucky fans might agree with Bilas. The rest of his predictions, including his Final Four run and national championship, can be found here.
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This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: Kentucky Basketball NCAA Tournament Predictions from Jay Bilas
