The Kentucky Wildcats are dancing in Mark Pope's first season at the helm, officially the No. 3 seed in the Midwest Bracket. Their NCAA Tournament run will start on Friday, March 21 with a matchup against the No. 14 seed Troy Trojans.
It would've been difficult to ask for a better draw if you're a Kentucky fan. Houston sits atop the Midwest Region as a daunting No. 1 seed, but the Wildcats' side of the bracket feels... light. Tennessee is a good but beatable No. 2 seed, and one Kentucky is plenty familiar with. Illinois, UCLA, Purdue — these are all teams with major question marks as March Madness gets underway.
That said, Kentucky has its own red flags entering the tournament. Pope practically built this team from scratch in the transfer portal, so Kentucky lacks continuity and experience where other teams have it in droves. Moreover, injuries are a huge point of conversation around this Wildcats team. Lamont Butler was a DNP in Kentucky's season-ending loss to Alabama, while Jaxson Robinson is done for the season after undergoing wrist surgery.
Luckily for Big Blue Nation, Pope was able to offer up some reassuring news ahead of Kentucky's big dance. Butler, who missed Friday's SEC Tournament loss with a left shoulder injury, is a go for the rest of March barring further issues.
Kentucky's Lamont Butler (shoulder) will be available for the Wildcats' first NCAA Tournament game this week, per Mark Pope.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 16, 2025
DNP in last game.
Averages 11.5 PPG and 4.3 APG.
Kentucky gets positive injury news as Mark Pope announces Lamont Butler is available for NCAA Tournament
Butler has dealt with a shoulder ailment all season, limited to 24 appearances so far. Pope said this time is "different," but it's not bad enough to keep Butler down ahead as Kentucky gears up for March Madness.
The Wildcats desperately need Butler, especially with the lineup already compromised elsewhere. He has been a key contributor on offense in 2024, averaging 11.5 points and 4.3 assists on .492/.362/.731 splits. It has been a career year for the San Diego State transfer, putting up best-ever numbers in the scoring and 3-point departments.
Perhaps most important, however, is Butler's defense. It shows up in the counting stats with 1.6 steals, but his impact ranges far beyond a few picked pockets. Butler brings an appreciable physicality to the defensive end, which is something Kentucky feeds off of.
Between his significant involvement on offense (third-highest usage rate on the team behind Otega Oweh and Amari Williams) and his essential presence on defense, Butler's absence would've been catastrophic to the Wildcats' odds of mounting a deep run. Kentucky still does not feel like a particularly strong No. 3 seed, but Pope has proven his chops as a head coach and this roster, when mostly healthy, does have the firepower and collective experience (individually, if not together) to get feisty.
Kentucky finished the regular season 22-11 with a 10-8 SEC record before advancing to the semifinals in the conference tournament. With wins over Florida, Mississippi State, Texas A&M, and Tennessee (twice), the Wildcats' resume is strong. That the Vols fall in Kentucky's corner of the bracket as the No. 2 seed is just more ammo for optimism in BBN. Perhaps Pope really can change their fortunes in March.