Kentucky basketball is in the thick of March Madness—and March madness of another kind. As the Wildcats gear up for a Sweet 16 clash with Tennessee on March 28, 2025, the past week has delivered underdog triumphs, transfer portal buzz, and rival meltdowns. From Vegas doubting the Cats to John Calipari’s Arkansas shadow, here’s your one-stop news roundup for Kentucky basketball. Follow the links for the full scoop!
Cats as Dogs: Kentucky Owns Tennessee
Oddsmakers can’t quit Tennessee—but Kentucky keeps cashing in. In five of the last six matchups since 2023, the Vols were favored by an average of seven points, per KSR. Kentucky? 5-0 straight up as underdogs, covering every spread, including two double-digit upsets. Now, FanDuel lists the Cats as 4.5-point underdogs for the Sweet 16. With Mark Pope’s squad fresh off wins over Troy and Illinois, Tennessee fans are sweating a heartbreaking trend. Another L could haunt Knoxville all offseason.
Arkansas Outpacing Kentucky? Not So Fast
Paul Finebaum stirred the pot, claiming John Calipari taking Arkansas past Kentucky’s Sweet 16 run would be a “colossal disaster” for Wildcats fans, read more about that over on Saturday Down South. He forgets the context: Calipari’s last five years in Lexington were plagued by injuries and flops, while Pope’s inherited a depleted roster and still hit the Sweet 16. Cal’s got his edge back in Fayetteville—good for him—but Kentucky’s fine. A deeper run than Arkansas would silence the noise.
Transfer Portal Madness Overlaps March
While Pope preps for Tennessee, the transfer portal’s exploding. 247tracks Kentucky’s pursuit of top guards like Kam Williams amid over 1,700 players on the move. Here’s our take: Coaches juggling Sweet 16 game plans with recruiting calls? Insane. Saint Francis, fresh off an NCAA bid, is even dropping to D-III. Player movement’s a thrill—think NIL freedom—but is it diluting the game’s soul? Debate it in the comments.
Kentucky Women's Basketball losing 3 players
Speaking of the transfer portal, Kenny brooks sees 3 of his players bolting for the door. Freshmen Clara Silva and Tanah Becker, and Junior guard Saniah Tyler; have all played their last games for the Cats. Silva, the most promising entered the portal with a do not contact tag. Read more about that here.
Volunteer Fans on the Brink
Tennessee fans are calling this Sweet 16 matchup the “biggest game ever” for their program. Lose a third straight to Kentucky—despite the Cats’ injury woes—and miss another Elite Eight? Catastrophe. Posts on X show Vol Nation unraveling. A Cats win in Indy could spark celebrations in Lexington and breakdowns in Knoxville. Or vice-versa. Let's hope the Cats have a couple more magical moments with LaMarch.
Conclusion
Kentucky basketball’s March 2025 is a whirlwind: defying Vegas, dodging Calipari’s shadow, chasing transfers, and tormenting Tennessee. Will Pope’s underdogs keep barking in the Sweet 16? Click the links for the latest and stick around WBN—this ride’s just heating up.