Santa Clara's three-point shooting will be a big concern for the Kentucky Wildcats

Over the next few days, Big Blue Nation is going to learn a lot about Santa Clara, and one of the first things for fans to know is that the Broncos love to shoot the three-ball. Santa Clara is 22nd in college basketball when it comes to three-point attempts per game at 29.2. They shoot 34.6% from deep, so they are taking a lot of threes but also making a lot of threes.

The Broncos have eight players who have shot over 80 threes this season and five players who have shot 100+ threes. This means that Santa Clara has a lot of players who are willing to shoot the three-ball, which is scary for a team like Kentucky.

Feb 28, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Collin Chandler (5) looks to the Kentucky bench during the first half against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

In SEC play, the Wildcats really struggled to defend the three-point line, which is scary for the Wildcats in a matchup like this, where a team shoots the ball from three really well. Even the big men for the Broncos are willing to pop out and shoot the three-ball, so there isn’t a player in this Santa Clara rotation that isn’t willing to shoot the ball from beyond the arc.

Coach Pope needs to have his team ready to defend the three-point line for all 40 minutes of this game. In Kentucky’s losses to Saint Pete’s and Oakland, both of these teams shot well from three. Saint Peter’s went 9-17 (52.9%), and Oakland went 15-31 (48.4%). The point of this isn’t to scare Kentucky fans but rather to show in games where Kentucky has lost with more talent of late in the big dance, the common theme is the opponent shooting the three ball well.

Mar 12, 2026; Nashville, TN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope yells to his team against the Missouri Tigers during the second half at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Now, obviously, Santa Clara is much better than Saint Pete’s and Oakland, and they do play in the WCC, so they see more competition on a game-to-game basis. If the Wildcats can’t stop the Broncos from deep, Kentucky will be heading home from Saint Louis on Friday after a Round of 64 loss.

In a win or loss for Pope’s Wildcats, the shooting of Santa Clara will be something that plays a large role. Heading into the Texas A&M game a few weeks ago fans new the Aggies loved to shoot the three ball. If Kentucky was going to win they had to defend from deep and they weren't able to get it done. Pope’s team has to defend the line well, which means they can’t over-help down low, and they can't go under screens. Fans need to pay attention to the defense the Wildcats play on Friday around the perimeter.