When was the last time Kentucky basketball made the Sweet 16 in men's March Madness?
Two days after ending an NCAA Tournament curse, Kentucky men's basketball has ended another curse.
With an 84-75 win over No. 6 Illinois at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on Sunday, No. 3 Kentucky punched its ticket past the first weekend of March Madness and into the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2019 — a sentence that Big Blue Nation has been waiting to hear for six years.
The Wildcats will now have a rematch against SEC foe No. 2 Tennessee in the Sweet 16 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Friday, March 28.
#BBN, see you in Indy 😼 pic.twitter.com/ljRVqUDI43
— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) March 23, 2025
With the win, Kentucky improved to 2-0 in the NCAA Tournament under first-year coach Mark Pope, who led the Wildcats on on a historic March Madness run as a player back in 1996.
Pope was, predictably, pumped about the berth.
Coach Pope is HYPE about @KentuckyMBB moving on to the #Sweet16 😆#MarchMadnesspic.twitter.com/huFmTC5L4m
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 24, 2025
Kentucky's big three Koby Brea, Lamont Butler and Otega Oweh helped send the Wildcats one step closer to making the Final Four in San Antonio by combining for 52 of their 84 points against the Illini on Sunday.
"Learned that they are willing to take everything that they talked about, be present in the moment and step up in big moments," Pope told CBS's Lauren Shehadi after the game when asked what he learned about his team in the historic win.
"They came in with all the pressure in the world that March Madness is and man did they ring the bell."
Here's what you need to know on the last time Kentucky had made it past the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament and its history in the Sweet 16 of March Madness:
When was the last time Kentucky basketball was in the Sweet 16 of March Madness?
Before punching its ticket to the Sweet 16 on Sunday, the last time that Kentucky appeared in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament was in 2019 under then-head coach John Calipari (who is also in the Sweet 16 with Arkansas this season).
To reach the Sweet 16 that season the Wildcats, a then-No. 2 seed, defeated No. 15 Abilene Christina 79-44 in the first round and No. 10 Wofford 62-56 in the second round.
Kentucky basketball Sweet 16 appearances
The Wildcats will make their 45th Sweet 16 appearance in the history of the men's NCAA Tournament on Friday, March 28 when they take on No. 2 Tennessee at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Here's a decade-by-decade breakdown of when Kentucky has made the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament:
- 1950s: 1951, 1952, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958 and 1959
- 1960s: 1961, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1968 and 1969
- 1970s: 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 and 1978
- 1980s: 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986 and 1988*
- 1990s: 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999
- 2000s: 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2005
- 2010s: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2017, 2018 and 2019
- 2020s: 2025
* denotes vacated by the NCAA
Kentucky basketball March Madness 2025 schedule
Here's an updated look at Kentucky's March Madness schedule:
Seeding in parentheses
- NCAA Tournament first round: (3) Kentucky 76, (14) Troy 57
- NCAA Tournament second round: (3) Kentucky 84, (6) Illinois 75
- NCAA Tournament Sweet 16: (2) Tennessee vs. (3) Kentucky | Friday, March 28 | TBD
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky basketball: Wildcats in Sweet 16 for first time since 2019
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