LEX 18 — Kentucky men's Basketball is going dancing! The Wildcats earned the No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament's Midwest region, taking on No. 14 seed Troy.
The Cats will begin their run on Friday, March 21 at 7:10 p.m. ET. By punching their ticket again this year, the Wildcats have earned a spot in the program's 62nd NCAA Tournament, which is a national record. It is Kentucky's fifth time earning the No. 3 seed, including last season.
THE CATS ARE DANCING 💃🕺
— BBN Tonight (@BBNTonight) March 16, 2025
Kentucky gets a No. 3 seed in the Midwest Region, where the Cats will begin their run vs. No. 14 seed Troy in Milwaukee pic.twitter.com/miMUwcKSM0
Troy earned the automatic bid after defeating Arkansas State 94-81 to claim the Sun Belt title. This will be the program's first trip to the Big Dance since 2017.
Troy is averaging 73.9 points per game, while allowing opponents to score 65.4 points per game. The Trojans are 23-10 on the year, and they went 0-3 this season versus power conference opponents, losing to Arkansas, Oregon and Houston.
Mark and Lee Anne Pope’s reaction to Kentucky’s seeding as the team celebrates drawing a 3 seed in the tournament!@BBNTonight @LEX18News pic.twitter.com/YjHZS9492U
— Nick Lazaroff (@NickelLaz) March 17, 2025
In Mark Pope's first season at the helm, Kentucky finished the regular season 22-11 overall before falling to Alabama in quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament. Following the best year in league history, the Southeastern Conference earned 14 bids this year, which is a new record.
We receive a limited allotment of tickets from the NCAA. Eligible K Fund members who requested first and second round tickets in advance of Selection Sunday will receive a confirmation email on Monday evening, March 17 from the UK Ticket Office with information on whether or not…
— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) March 17, 2025
If Kentucky were to advance, the Cats would meet 6-seed Illinois or the play-in game winner between Texas and Xavier in the round of 32. The regional rounds will be held in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Here's a look at the full region:
For more on the men's basketball team and all of the Cats, watch BBN Tonight weeknights at 7:30 p.m. on the official station of UK Athletics, LEX 18.
