Three reasons Kentucky basketball will win the NCAA Tournament

Here are some reasons why the Kentucky Wildcats can win it all this season.

Oct 11, 2025; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope watches the action during Big Blue Madness at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

The Kentucky Wildcats will head into the 2025-26 college basketball season as the #9 team in college basketball, so Mark Pope has a team capable of winning it all.

Pope used the portal, high school recruiting, and player retention to put together one of the best rosters in the nation, and it will soon pay off.

The excitement in Lexington for this season is quite palpable as the Wildcats, for the first time in a few years, have everything they need roster-wise to hang a banner in today's college basketball.

One of the hardest things to do in sports is win the NCAA Tournament, but Pope has a team good enough to get it done.

Let's take a look at three reasons why Mark Pope's Kentucky Wildcats will win it all this season.

Three reasons Kentucky will win the NCAA Tournament

Elite Depth

In college basketball, having a lot of depth on a roster is very important. Now, sometimes coaches try to play guys who aren't that good just to keep fresh legs, but that won't be an issue for the Wildcats. Pope has a team that is double digits deep with exceptional talent. A lot of the guys that will come off the bench for Kentucky would start at a good chunk of SEC schools. This depth will help a lot when the Wildcats get deep into the season.

Oct 14, 2025; Birmingham, AL, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope talks with the media during SEC Media Days at Grand Bohemian Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

Star Power

Having star power in college basketball is crucial, and the Wildcats have plenty of it. Obviously, Otega Oweh is the star of this team as the Preseason SEC Player of the Year, but Jayden Quaintance and Jaland Lowe also have a shot to be stars. Teams need a player who can take the ball and score late in a game in the clutch, and with his two game-winners last season, Oweh proved he has that ability. Kentucky has plenty of star power.

Oct 14, 2025; Birmingham, AL, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Otega Oweh talks with the media during SEC Media Days at Grand Bohemian Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

Offense + Defense

For a team to win it all, they have to be balanced on offense and defense. That was not the case for Kentucky last season, as they weren't great defensively, but that isn't an issue for the Wildcats this season. KenPom has the Wildcats ranked as the eighth-best offense and fourth-best defense in college basketball this season. The four teams that made the Final Four last season had both their offense and defense inside the top 12 of KenPom. Kentucky's talent on both sides of the floor will pay dividends for this team.

Oct 11, 2025; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Kam Williams (3) competes in the three point contest during Big Blue Madness at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

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