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Santa Clara over Kentucky tipped as top NCAA Tournament upset pick
Analysts see the No. 10 Broncos as a dangerous first-round matchup for the No. 7 Wildcats.
Mar. 16, 2026 at 1:37pm
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The Kentucky Wildcats, seeded seventh in the NCAA Tournament, are set to face the 10th-seeded Santa Clara Broncos in the opening round. Despite Kentucky's pedigree, many analysts and fans are predicting the Broncos to pull off the upset, with Santa Clara's strong rebounding and three-point shooting seen as potential weaknesses for the Wildcats to exploit.
Why it matters
Kentucky has a history of early NCAA Tournament exits against smaller programs, and a loss to Santa Clara would continue that trend. The Wildcats' head coach, Mark Pope, is under pressure to avoid another disappointing postseason performance.
The details
Santa Clara has played five Quad 1 games this season, posting a 1-4 record, but they pushed Gonzaga harder than Kentucky did in two meetings with the Bulldogs. The Broncos are an exceptional rebounding team and rely heavily on three-point shooting, which could pose problems for the Wildcats' defense.
- The NCAA Tournament first-round matchup between Kentucky and Santa Clara will take place on March 16, 2026.
The players
Mark Pope
The head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats, who is under pressure to avoid another early NCAA Tournament exit for his team.
Otega Oweh
A guard for the Kentucky Wildcats who made a crucial three-pointer in the team's conference tournament game against Missouri.
What’s next
The winner of the Kentucky-Santa Clara matchup will advance to face the winner of the game between the 2-seed and the 15-seed in the next round of the NCAA Tournament.
The takeaway
This first-round matchup between Kentucky and Santa Clara is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing upset picks in this year's NCAA Tournament, as the Broncos' strong rebounding and three-point shooting could pose significant problems for the Wildcats, who have struggled with early tournament exits in recent years.
