Kentucky came through unscathed against Hampton in the round-of-64, now they look to protect their undefeated record against Cincinnati on Saturday.
Where: KFC Yum! Center, Louisville.
When: Saturday March 21, 14:40 (ET)
Watch live: Click here to watch on BT Sport online!
The Wildcats improved to 35-0 with their convincing 79-56 win over the Pirates on Thursday night, but they will likely face a tougher task against Cincinnati who nailed a buzzer-beater to force overtime against Purdue before eventually prevailing 67-66.
The Bearcats snapped a two-game losing streak at the NCAA Tournament with that win, although they will need something particularly special on Saturday in order to keep that streak going.
Kentucky freshman forward Karl-Anthony Towns exploded for 21 points and 11 rebounds in just 25 minutes against Hampton, and he will undoubtedly be the man to watch on Saturday as he looks to build on that impressive opening performance.
In contrast, it was Troy Caupain who hit that heroic buzzer-beater against Purdue, but Cincinnati do not have a single player averaging double figures in scoring with junior forward Octavius Ellis the closest player to it with 9.9 points per game.
The odds are certainly stacked against the Bearcats, with Kentucky tied with last year’s Wichita State team for the longest undefeated streak to begin a season in Division I history.
Wichita State were 35-0 before losing to Kentucky in the second round, with the last undefeated champion being the Indiana Hoosiers back in 1976 after they went 32-0.
Don’t bet against Kentucky continuing their march to the history books, as although Cincinnati will meet them with some resistance, it won’t be enough to deny John Calipari’s men a place in the next round.
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