Watch the moment Mark Pope, UK men’s basketball lock in Sweet 16 appearance
After defeating Illinois 84-75 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, Kentucky had a pretty sweet celebration in its locker room.
As has become a tradition in the tournament, UK locked in its spot in the Sweet 16 by slapping a “Kentucky” nameplate in the next round of a bracket displayed in the team’s locker room. Head Coach Mark Pope delivered the nameplate to the Cats to get the party started.
“You see that? You see that? The world is right, boys, lets go!” Pope said when entering the locker room.
Pope then handed the nameplate to Brandon Garrison, and he and Otega Oweh firmly planted it on the bracket with their teammates right behind them.
A celebration ensued, and UK is off to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2019.
Kentucky got past Illinois with an all-around offensive and defensive effort. The Cats forced 14 turnovers out of the Illini, turning the errors into 26 points.
The Cats tied their season high with 14 steals — Lamont Butler, Collin Chandler and Andrew Carr each had three apiece — including eight in the first half.
“You can’t give them 26 points off turnovers and expect to win,” Illinois coach Brad Underwood said. “You just can’t.”
Kentucky’s offense came alive in the second half, starting the frame off on a 10-0 run and eventually building its lead to 16 points. Illinois was able to trim the lead to six with 1:36 remaining in the game, but that’s as close as the Illini would get.
Kentucky’s next game will be against second-seed Tennessee in the Sweet 16 in Indianapolis. The Cats are 2-0 against the Vols this season.
Game time is 7:39 p.m. EDT Friday at Lucas Oil Stadium.
This story was originally published March 24, 2025 at 9:40 AM.
