The Kentucky Wildcats have secured a No. 3 seed in the Midwest Region of the 2025 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, marking their record-extending 62nd appearance. They will begin their tournament journey against Troy on Friday in Milwaukee, with tip-off scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET with pregame coverage at 5:30 p.m. on WKYM 101.7.
This is Kentucky’s fifth time as a No. 3 seed, and their second consecutive year in that position. They hold a 6-4 record in the tournament as a No. 3 seed, including 2-1 in first-round games. In 1999, they reached the Elite Eight as a No. 3 seed.
Under first-year head coach Mark Pope, the Wildcats enter the tournament with a 22-11 overall record. This is Pope’s third NCAA Tournament appearance as a head coach, having previously led BYU to two appearances, including a No. 6 seed last year.
Kentucky finished sixth in the highly competitive Southeastern Conference, which earned a record 14 tournament bids. The Wildcats’ season highlights include victories over Duke and Florida, both No. 1 seeds, and 11 Quad 1 wins, along with eight wins against AP Top 15 opponents, tying an NCAA record.
Kentucky holds NCAA Tournament records for most appearances (62) and games played (185), and ranks second in wins (130). Their overall NCAA Tournament record is 130-55, with eight national championships and 17 Final Four appearances.
Looking ahead to the Troy game, Kentucky is 49-12 in NCAA Tournament openers and has won 26 of their last 29 first-round games. This will be the second meeting between Kentucky and Troy, with Kentucky holding a 1-0 series lead from a 2018 matchup. Troy, the Sun Belt Tournament champions, enters the game with a 23-10 record. They average 73.9 points per game and allow 65.4, shooting 43.8% from the field and 29.9% from three-point range. Senior guard Tayton Conerway leads Troy with 14.3 points per game, and Thomas Dowd leads in rebounds with 6.8.
If Kentucky advances, they will play the winner of the No. 6 seed Illinois vs. the play-in game winner of Texas and Xavier. Kentucky leads the all-time series against Illinois 11-4 (4-0 in NCAA tournament games), is 2-1 against Texas (0-1 this year), and 37-2 against Xavier. They have not played Texas or Xavier in the NCAA tournament.