With the NCAA Tournament set to begin on Thursday, Jay Bilas has revealed his bracket predictions, including how far he believes Kentucky Basketball will advance in March Madness.
Bilas, a longtime analyst for ESPN and former player under Mike Krzyzewski at Duke, predicts Kentucky will win its opening-round matchup but fall in the second round.
In the Round of 64, Bilas has No. 7 Kentucky defeating No. 10 Santa Clara. However, he noted the Wildcats’ injuries and inconsistency could make the game dangerous.
“Kentucky is banged up and inconsistent, and Santa Clara is big, skilled and has positional size at almost every position,” Bilas said. “To be clear: Kentucky could very well get upset here.”
Despite those concerns, Bilas ultimately picked Kentucky to advance, assuming standout guard Otega Oweh delivers another strong performance.
Kentucky’s run in Bilas’ bracket ends in the Round of 32, where he predicts No. 2 Iowa State will defeat the Wildcats. Bilas cited Iowa State’s versatile forward Joshua Jefferson, who is averaging career highs of 16.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 4.9 assists this season.
Looking ahead in his bracket, Bilas predicts the Final Four will feature Arizona, Michigan State, Illinois, and Iowa State.
He ultimately projects Arizona to defeat Michigan State in the national championship game, giving the Wildcats their first national title in nearly 20 years.
For Kentucky, the focus remains on its first-round matchup against Santa Clara, where the Wildcats will look to prove they can go further than Bilas’ prediction.