The Kentucky Wildcats are returning to the Sweet 16 after a six-year absence. Additionally, it took place during Mark Pope’s first season of employment. For the first time since 2019, the Cats’ 84-75 victory over Illinois at the Fiserv Forum on Sunday night silenced a Milwaukee crowd made up primarily of Illini supporters and guaranteed UK a spot in the second week of the NCAA Tournament. Pope had won his first March Madness game as head coach two nights prior. The former Kentucky player received his second on Sunday. The Wildcats’ offensive standout of the evening was Koby Brea.
Brea scored 23 points in the end. He was the main component of Kentucky’s offensive offensive surge after halftime, making five straight shots during one stretch in the second half and scoring eight points in 59 seconds. In the second half, the Cats attempted their first ten 2-pointers. Before the first TV timeout of the half, they had gone on a 10-0 run to start the period and had increased their lead from 37-32 at the half to 47-32. From there, the UK had a strong hold on the game.
Lamont Butler finished with 14 points and was a threat on defense in Friday night’s victory over Troy, despite going scoreless. He had five assists as well. Otega Oweh, who missed most of the first half with foul trouble, scored the opening basket of the second half and finished with 15 points, hitting three free throws in the final 19 seconds to pad Kentucky’s lead. Amari Williams had eight points, 10 rebounds, six assists and three blocks. The Wildcats had 14 steals as a team, tying their season high. They outscored Illinois 26-8 in points off turnovers.
From the start, Kentucky, a club that has been noted for its offensive prowess throughout the season, established a stifling defensive posture. After about ninety seconds, Butler swatted the ball out of Illinois point guard Kasparas Jakucionis’s hands and carried it in a different direction, finally finding Brea for a layup and the game’s opening two points. In the first 5:12 of the game, the Cats managed to take four things. Prior to the under-8 stoppage of the first half, they had eight steals. Collin Chandler was the first Kentucky player off the bench and made a 3-pointer on his first offensive possession on the field, accounting for three of those early steals.