Santa Clara over Kentucky will be one of the most common upset picks in NCAA Tournament brackets

In the NCAA Tournament brackets, one of the most common picks is for the number ten seeds to take down the number seven seeds, and that is the position the Kentucky Wildcats are in this season. After an up-and-down season for Mark Pope’s Kentucky Wildcats, the team is ready to make a run in the NCAA Tournament and they will have to do this as a seven-seed.

The Wildcats will get things kicked off in the NCAA Tournament, taking on the Santa Clara Broncos of the WCC. The Broncos received an at-large bid out of the WCC and are ranked 35th in KenPom. Some Kentucky fans quickly got excited about the draw, but little did they know analytics like Santa Clara as the top ten seed ahead of Missouri, Texas A&M, and UCF.

Before the bracket even started, Santa Clara was a team that many believed had a real shot to pull off an upset in the NCAA Tournament, and now that the college basketball world has seen their draw, many like the Broncos to pull off the upset even more. There is a good chance that Santa Clara over Kentucky will be one of the top upset picks in college basketball this season.

Mar 13, 2026; Nashville, TN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope yells to his team against the Florida Gators during the first half at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Multiple factors go into this, but the main factor is the fact that Santa Clara is really good. The other is the fact that most college basketball fans who are not part of Big Blue Nation love to see the Wildcats lose. This is an easy upset pick for fans to make, and even Kentucky fans know there is a world where this happens.

Over the last handful of years, Kentucky fans have gotten all too accustomed with losing to smaller programs in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Coach Pope needs to not let this happen again or the hot seat rumors are going to be massive next season heading into his third year.

Mar 12, 2026; Nashville, TN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Otega Oweh (00) reacts after a made three point basket against the Missouri Tigers during the second half at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Some Kentucky fans have been saying that the Broncos really haven’t played anyone, but they have played five Quad 1 games. Their record in those five games is 1-4, but they played the Gonzaga Bulldogs a lot closer than the Wildcats did three times and beat Saint Mary’s.

This Santa Clara team is exceptional on the boards and shoots the three-ball a lot. The Wildcats are going to have to defend the perimeter well, or this could be an early exit for Pope’s team. A lot of folks will be picking Pope’s Wildcats to lose in the Round of 64, and with the boom-or-bust nature of this team, just about anything is possible.