Kentucky vs Santa Clara: Tournament Opener

0:00On March 20, Kentucky basketball tips off the NCAA Tournament on Friday at 12-15pm Eastern Time in St. Louis. The seventh-seated Wildcats faced the tenth-seated Santa Clara Broncos in the first game of the day on CBS. Santa Clara, making their first appearance since 1996, is coached by Herb Sendeck, a former Kentucky assistant. Santa Clara plays an up-tempo style with strong pressure defense that forces turnovers and heavy reliance on three-point shooting. They dominate the offensive glass and celebrate the 30th anniversary of their last tournament run, which featured a notable upset led by Steve. Nash, most fans and analysts see Kentucky's talent-edge, with players like Otega Owe and Denzel Aberdeen ready to shine in big moments. Recent struggles against fast teams raise concerns, though, including cold shooting from Colin Chandler and vulnerability to hot three-point nights. It's mostly predicted Kentucky win, with scores around 83-74 or 85-77.

1:03A few worry about the pace leading to an upset, but the consensus calls for the Wildcats to advance if they limit turnovers and share the ball. Tune in on CBS or the UK Sports Network to see if Kentucky handles business and moves to the round of 32. The tournament heat is just getting started.