The Illini and Wildcats appear poised for a nail-biter, as ESPN has one squad as a very slight favorite
In Friday's NCAA Tournament first-round action, third-seeded Kentucky blew past Troy 76-57, while sixth-seeded Illinois cruised to an 86-73 win over Xavier. As a result, the Wildcats and Illini are set to meet Sunday at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee in what should be a high-paced Round of 32 matchup.
A 3 and 6 seed in the tournament typically are well-matched, but Kentucky and Illinois – two of the highest-scoring teams in Division I – resemble one another in several uncanny ways. If you consider that Illini center Tomislav Ivisic has a twin brother, Zvonimir, who played for the Wildcats last season , calling Illinois and Kentucky something close to mirror images doesn't sound all that wild. Not surprisingly, then, ESPN’s Basketball Power Ranking Predictions tool sees Sunday's matchup to be practically a coin flip, giving Kentucky a 52.6 percent chance of winning. Although the teams will meet on a neutral site, it’s worth noting that Champaign is much closer to Milwaukee than Lexington is . With what is arguably a quasi-home game, the Illini may have a slight upper hand. But as Wildcats coach Mark Pope pointed out, his squad has been here and done that. “The Gonzaga game was essentially a neutral road game, so it felt very much like I think the gym will feel tomorrow ,” he said in a Saturday press conference.Despite the Bulldogs being favored by the metrics , the Wildcats knocked them off in overtime, escaping with a 90-89 victory. Although few atmospheres can recreate the NCAA Tournament, both squads are battle-tested and all but made for the moment. As ESPN’s analytics seemingly suggest, Kentucky-Illinois should be a thriller that just may go down to the wire.How to Watch: Illinois vs. Kentucky in NCAA Tournament Second RoundPrimarily covers Illinois football and basketball, and Kansas basketball, with an emphasis on analysis, features and recruiting. Langendorf, a third-generation University of Illinois alum, has been watching Illini basketball and football for as long as he can remember. An advertising student and journalism devotee, he has been writing for On SI since October 2024. He can be followed and reached on X @jglangendorf.
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