
The Kentucky Wildcats took care of business on Sunday, defeating Illinois 84–75 in the round of 32 to secure their place in the Sweet 16.
The victory snapped a five-year drought in which the Wildcats had not made a single Sweet 16 appearance, an unprecedented streak given their stature in college basketball. The last time Kentucky was in the Sweet 16 was under coach John Calipari back in 2019, when the team consisted of current NBA talent including P.J. Washington, Tyler Herro, Keldon Johnson, Immanuel Quickley and Nick Richards.