ESPN’s Dick Vitale is no stranger to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, although he may be to this year’s Kentucky Wildcats.
Vitale doesn’t have Kentucky advancing far in his 2025 March Madness bracket, as he explained in a recent article explaining his selection choices game-by-game.
In his bracket, Kentucky obviously gets the opening round win against fourteen-seed Troy. That matchup will be Kentucky’s first of the tournament and is slated for 7:10 PM on Friday.
“Big Blue Nation celebrates an opening-round W,” Vitale said.
He then has them getting the edge over Illinois, who themselves beat the winner of the eleven-seed play-in game between Texas and Xavier, in the round of 32.
“Illinois fights until the final buzzer, but Kentucky makes big plays down the stretch to close it out at the line,” Vitale said.
Kentucky finally goes out in the Sweet 16, losing to a Tennessee team they beat twice already this year.
“In the final minutes, Tennessee’s veteran leadership shows up and the Vols close it out like champions,” Vitale said.
