College basketball expert predicts an early exit for the Kentucky Wildcats in the NCAA Tournament

Will Kentucky make it out of the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament?

Mar 1, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope looks on during the first half against the Auburn Tigers at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images / Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

The NCAA Tournament Bracket is finally out, and the Kentucky Wildcats were given a favorable draw in year one under Mark Pope. The Wildcats will get things going against Troy on Friday night.

If Kentucky is able to take down Troy, the Wildcats will play the winner between six-seed Illinois and whoever wins the 11-seed play-in the game. The two teams in that 11-seed play-in game are Texas and Xavier.

One of the up-and-coming voices of college basketball is John Fanta, and he recently released his filled-out NCAA Tournament Bracket. Fanta had Xavier taking down Texas and then going on to take down Illinois.

After taking down Illinois, Fanta believes the Musketeers will beat the Kentucky Wildcats in the Round of 32. Pope is 0-2 against 11 seeds as a head coach, but this is a surprising pick from Fanta.

To be fair, Kentucky hasn't made it out of the first weekend in a while, but under a new head coach and more than likely having Lamont Butler on the floor, the Wildcats have a great shot at making the second weekend.

If Kentucky is able to take down Troy, whether they play Illinois, Xavier, or Texas, the Wildcats are more than capable of winning this game. It will come down to shooting and defense.

If the Wildcats are shooting the ball well and defending at a high level, they can go on a run, but if they struggle in these two aspects, they could get beat in the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament.