Kentucky’s fan base made its presence felt again in the NCAA March Madness 21st Century 3v3 Tournament, pushing the Wildcats all the way to the title over UConn.
The online bracket, which asked fans on X/Twitter to vote on the best three-man team of the 21st century, featured 64 teams and four No. 1 seeds. Kentucky’s entry leaned on the early John Calipari years, with John Wall, Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins forming the trio. That group rolled through the bracket and finished the job in the championship round.
Here’s how Kentucky’s votes stacked up along the way: 86% against FAU in the Round of 64, 81.7% over Wichita State in the Round of 32, 78% against UCLA in the Sweet 16, 68.1% over Michigan State in the Elite Eight, 72.4% against Duke in the Final Four and 74.9% against UConn in the championship.
The NCAA March Madness account summed it up this way: “BBN propels the Wildcats to victory 😼 @KentuckyMBB are your 21st Century 3v3 Tournament champs 🏆”
Kentucky’s path included some heavy hitters. UConn’s trio was Emeka Okafor, Kemba Walker and Donovan Clingan, while Duke countered with Zion Williamson, Cooper Flagg and Shane Battier. Still, the Big Blue Nation carried the day.
The bracket mostly stayed true to form. Purdue was the only 6-seed to reach the Sweet 16, and Boilermaker fans even got them past 2-seed North Carolina before Duke ended that run in the Final Four. Arkansas was the lone double-digit seed to survive the first round.
In Other News...
Kentucky Just Drew A Clear Line In College Sports Chaos
Amid the churn in college sports, Kentucky is trying to make its position look a lot less messy. At the Champions Blue Board of Governors meeting on Sept. 17, university president Eli Capilouto again backed the Protect College Sports Act and put the emphasis on following Southeastern Conference rules, with athletics director J Batt echoing the same message about federal guidelines carrying more weight than a patchwork of state laws and court rulings.
The timing matters because the SEC has already moved to tighten its own house, recently voting to enforce transfer rules and bar former professional players from competing in the league. For Kentucky, the stance is less about slogans than about drawing a line on how the sport should be governed, even as the wider landscape keeps shifting around it. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Heads Into Texas A&M With One Huge Test Of Its Depth
Kentucky heads to No. 9 Texas A&M this week carrying the kind of availability questions that tend to matter even more in an SEC road game. The Wildcats are working through a list of players who are either ruled out or questionable, and that makes the lineup worth watching as the staff tries to sort out who can help in a tough matchup away from home.
There is at least a little good news on the defensive side, with Terhyon Nichols expected back at cornerback and Alex Afari Jr. available after missing the previous game. Still, the bigger picture is clear enough: Kentucky is a 16.5-point underdog, and Kenny Minchey is set for his first SEC road start at quarterback, which gives this trip to Texas A&M an added layer of pressure and uncertainty. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Gets An Early Warning On Two Defensive Names Vs Texas A&M
The first SEC availability report of the season has already given Kentucky a clearer picture of what Saturday could look like against Texas A&M, even before the Wildcats get to game weeks late updates. Under the leagues new 2024 policy, schools now have to submit official player statuses each Wednesday and keep refining them through kickoff, which means the early read on this matchup matters a little more than it used to.
For Kentucky, the initial list includes several familiar names in different categories, with the most notable defensive concerns landing in the questionable column. Texas A&M has its own injury watch list to manage as well, so both sides are dealing with uncertainty before the teams even get to College Station. The Wildcats will keep tracking the report as the week goes on, but this first snapshot already hints that availability could shape how this SEC opener unfolds. [Read more 🡒]