All you have to do is win by one point, and all is good in the world. While Kentucky did win by a wider margin than that, the Santa Clara Broncos took them to overtime in their first-round game on Friday afternoon. If not for a miraculous buzzer-beater off the hands of Otega Oweh, Kentucky would be back in Lexington, and Mark Pope may be out of a job. Instead, they are still alive in March Madness!
ESPN's Dick Vitale best epitomized what Big Blue Nation was feeling after this wild overtime game.
OWEH of @KentuckyMBB doing all he can to help Cats avoid losing in 1st rd vs @santaclarahoops
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) March 20, 2026
Yes, it took a game out of Oweh that can only be described as Larry Bird-esque to propel Kentucky into the Round of 32. No. 7 Kentucky will be taking on No. 2 Iowa State, who could be down a player. Regardless, Vitale's reaction over on social media further justifies why college basketball is so great this time of year. Anything and everything can happen within the context of 40 minutes, or beyond...
Kentucky enters play on Sunday as a 4.5-point underdog at the hands of a shorthanded Iowa State.
Dick Vitale reacted like Kentucky fans abound after Otega Oweh's shot
Through the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the best player so far has been Oweh. His 35 points, eight boards, and seven dimes are what March is all about. The senior from Newark is about to make himself some serious money at the next level. Should Kentucky advance past Iowa State on Sunday, Oweh may have done more than merely save the job of his much-maligned head coach...
As we try to encapsulate what this win means for Kentucky moving forward, it suggests a few things. No, this is not the most talented Kentucky team of all time, far from it in fact. They love to turn the ball over at will and look so disjointed at times. However, when the game hangs in the balances, the likes of Oweh and Pope seem to be built for March. Just make the tournament and anything can happen.
At this time, Kentucky is going to have to play expotentially better to get past Iowa State in the Round of 32. Santa Clara gave the Wildcats their all and nearly upset them. Iowa State is one of a handful of teams who could realistically win March Madness. The Cyclones are not the first, second, or third team you would think of in that regard. If we were to kick it out to about eight teams, they fit right in.
For now, let's appreciate this magical moment we all saw out of Oweh during the first round Friday.