How far did Kentucky make it in March Madness 2023?
As one of the most heralded college basketball programs ever, the Kentucky Wildcats often attract the best hoops talent from all over the world. And this level of talent they get helps them become contenders for the NCAA championship year in and year out – even if the school has experienced recent postseason heartbreaks.
This year, the Wildcats are once again in the running to go deep into March Madness. But how exactly did they fare last season? Here's a quick look at their run in 2023.
Kentucky's March Madness 2023 journey
Seeded No. 6 in last year's tourney, the Kentucky Wildcats began their run after earning an at-large bid and being seeded No. 23rd overall in the field. Their opponents in the first round were the No. 11 Providence Friars, who gave them all they could handle the entire game.
The Friars were just two baskets away from leading Kentucky with about four minutes left in the contest. This put a lot of pressure on the 'Cats, who needed one more big run to finally send Providence packing – and they did. They went on an 11-5 run to build a 10-point cushion with just under 23 seconds remaining, punching their ticket into the next round with a final score of 61-53.
In the next round, they faced the other Wildcats from Kansas State. Led by 2023 Werner Ladder Naismith Men's College Coach of the Year winner Jerome Tang, Kansas State went on a 13-2 run to grab the lead late in the second half and never looked back.
They won 75-69 and sent John Calipari and his boys home, behind a stellar 27-point, nine-assist performance from the now-Toronto Raptors guard Markquis Nowell. With the loss, the Kentucky Wildcats continued their five-year-long Sweet 16 drought (via CBS Sports).
What are Kentucky's chances of winning 2024 NCAA Tournament?
In college basketball, anything can happen. And fans believe that, as they're still betting on the Kentucky Wildcats to win it all this year despite its string of consecutive early March Madness exits.
Notably, bettors have now made the 'Cats the most bet-on team to win the national title as of Feb. 27 (via Sports Illustrated). Numbers from sites such as DraftKings Sportsbook put 25% of the money and 18% of the bets on Calipari's squad this year. Furthermore, as of March 1, their odds of winning the national championship stand at +2200 (via BetMGM).