We are coming up on the opening rounds of the NCAA tournament and media members and fans alike are turning their attention to filling out their brackets for the NCAA Tournament. Many are predicting that the Kentucky Wildcats are a prime candidate to be upset in the early rounds of the tournament, although some experts are still picking the Wildcats to make it to the second weekend of the Big Dance.
One of the most notable experts, ESPN’s Jay Bilas, is picking Kentucky to defeat Providence in the first round, but notes that it wouldn’t be much of an upset if the Friars were to come out on top due to Kentucky’s inconsistent play throughout the season. Bilas then picks Kentucky to upset Kansas State in the Round of 32, citing the Wildcats’ familiarity with Keyontae Johnson, who faced Kentucky several times while playing for Florida.
In the Sweet 16, Bilas picks Marquette to take down Kentucky, reasoning that Marquette has better guards and the best point guard, and that Kentucky’s turnover-prone play will be exploited by Marquette’s defensive pressure. Other experts at ESPN, including John Gasaway and Matt Eisenberg, also predict that Providence will upset Kentucky in the first round, giving the upset a 40% chance of happening.
However, not all experts are predicting Kentucky’s early exit from the tournament. Jeff Borzello of ESPN predicts that Kentucky will beat Providence 75-69, Kansas State 68-66, but lose to Marquette 72-64 in the Sweet 16. Meanwhile, Seth Davis of The Athletic is picking Providence to upset Kentucky in what he’s dubbed the “Bryce Hopkins Game.” The Athletic also enlisted the help of Furman math professors to create a statistical model to predict upsets, with Providence beating Kentucky ranking as the 10th-most likely first-round upset at 21.3%.
Overall, it seems that many experts are underestimating Kentucky’s potential to make a deep run in the tournament, although they acknowledge the team’s inconsistency and vulnerability to upsets. Fans will have to wait and see how the Wildcats fare in their first-round matchup against Providence and beyond.
Can the Wildcats pull it together and make a run this year? Or will they repeat the results of years prior? Only time will tell.
The Wildcats are set to play the Providence Friars in first round NCAA action on Friday at 7:10 PM.
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