Kentucky Wildcats NCAA Basketball Betting
There was plenty of change in the Kentucky basketball program this offseason, as John Calipari left for Arkansas after another disappointing first weekend exit in the NCAA Tournament. Alum Mark Pope now steps in as the head coach for the Wildcats, coming back to the program after being a vital piece for the 1995-96 national championship squad. Pope has a brand-new roster to work with for the Wildcats, returning zero players and bringing just one player with him from his time at BYU.
With no players returning to Kentucky under the Mark Pope regime, We’ll start this team preview with the list of departures. The entire star-studded freshmen class left, including Rob Dillingham (15 ppg, 4 apg), Reed Sheppard (13 ppg, 4 rpg, 5 apg), DJ Wagner (10 ppg), Justin Edwards (9 ppg), Zvonimir Ivisic (6 ppg), Aaron Bradshaw (5 ppg), and Jordan Burks (2 ppg). Sophomore contributors Adou Thiero (7 ppg, 5 rpg) and Ugonna Onyenso (4 ppg, 5 rpg) found new homes in the transfer portal. Seniors Antonio Reeves (20 ppg, 4 rpg) and Tre Mitchell (11 ppg, 7 rpg) round out the list, both running out of eligibility.
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The battle for the starting point guard position should be interesting for the Wildcats. Transfers Lamont Butler (9 ppg at San Diego State) and Kerr Kriisa (11 ppg, 5 apg at West Virginia) are both talented enough to start but are two totally different players. Butler played a huge role in San Diego State’s success over the last three seasons, including his game-winner against FAU in the 2023 Final Four. Butler’s strength is his defense, being one of the top on-ball defenders in the country and averaging over 1.5 spg for each of the past three seasons. Kriisa is a three-level scorer who also has a knack for creating for others, though his biggest downfall is his extreme inconsistencies. Some nights, he’ll go for 25 points, six assists, and a turnover, and other nights, he’ll finish 20% from the field with four points and four turnovers. We chose Butler to start over Kriisa because of his defensive ability and more consistent performances, allowing Kriisa to be seen as a sparkplug off the bench for the Wildcats.
Three off-ball guards transfer into the backcourt for the Wildcats, highlighted by Jaxson Robinson (14 ppg at BYU), who follows Mark Pope over from BYU. Robinson broke out as the top scorer for the Cougars this past season and has a solid chance at leading the Wildcats in scoring in 2024-25. Otega Oweh (11 ppg, 4 rpg at Oklahoma) is the pick to start alongside Butler and Robinson in the backcourt. Oweh is a physical 6-5 guard who loves to attack the rim and has proved to be a good athlete and defender at the power conference level. Koby Brea (11 ppg, 4 rpg at Dayton) should have a big impact off the bench, finishing last year as the best three-point shooter in college basketball (100-201, 49.8% 3P). With Robinson, Oweh, and Brea as options at the two and three spots, the Wildcats have plenty of experience and a lot of different looks to throw out at opponents.
Two power conference transfers will look to help Kentucky in the frontcourt this season. Senior forward Andrew Carr (14 ppg, 7 rpg at Wake Forest) transfers in after two successful seasons at Wake Forest. At 6-10, Carr can play the four or the five, and along with being an efficient inside scorer and defender, he can step out and hit the three at a good rate (37.1% 3P). Brandon Garrison (8 ppg, 5 rpg at Oklahoma State) joins Carr in the frontcourt, coming over from Oklahoma State after a promising freshman season. Garrison was efficient from the field in his freshman campaign and was a solid defender and rebounder.
Latest NCAA Tournament Results
| YEAR |
RESULT |
| 2024 |
Lost First Round vs. (14) Oakland 76–80 |
| 2023 |
Lost Second Round vs. (15) Kansas State 69–75 |
| 2022 |
Lost First Round vs. (15) St. Peter's, 79–85 (OT) |
| 2019 |
Lost Elite Eight vs. (5) Auburn, 71–77 (OT) |
| 2018 |
Lost Sweet Sixteen vs. (9) Kansas State, 58–61 |
| 2017 |
Lost Elite Eight vs. (1) North Carolina, 73–75 |
| 2016 |
Lost Second Round vs. (5) Indiana, 67–73 |
2024-2025 NCAA Basketball Top Teams
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