Can the Kentucky Wildcats win March Madness 2024? Analyzing chances and key factors for success

The Kentucky Wildcats are one of the most successful teams in NCAA history as their eight national titles are second only to the UCLA Bruins, who have won 11 championships.

Furthermore, their 132-55 record has produced a .706 winning percentage in March Madness, which are the most wins by a program.

While they lost their SEC Tournament opener, falling 97-87 to the Texas A&M Aggies in the quarterfinals, the Kentucky Wildcats were still able to earn a No. 3 seed in the South Region. Take a look at whether or not they can win six consecutive games to claim their ninth title in program history below.

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Can the Kentucky Wildcats win March Madness 2024?

The Kentucky Wildcats will enter the NCAA Tournament with +3000 odds of winning their ninth national championship, according to FanDuel. That mark is tied with the Duke Blue Devils for the 11th-best odds in the nation. While they ended the regular season on a five-game winning streak, the Wildcats have not won six straight games since a stretch that lasted from Dec. 9 - Jan. 9.

Kentucky has been an elite offensive unit this season, as they average 89.4 points per game, ranking second in scoring offense and sixth in offensive rating. They have been awful on the less flashy side of the ball, however, as they allow 79.7 ppg, ranking just 344th in scoring defense and 258th in defensive rating.

The Wildcats have six players who can score the ball at a high level and take over a game if need be. That group is led by third-team All-American guard Antonio Reeves.

After opting out of the 2023 NBA Draft and returning to Kentucky for a second season, the fifth-year senior has averaged 20.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists per game while shooting 50.8% from the field, 44.1% from 3-point range and 86.9% from the free-throw line.

If they hope to make a deep run, however, the Kentucky Wildcats will need to play much better defense. Furthermore, center Tre Mitchell will need to play well and stay out of foul trouble as he is the only true frontcourt player who averaged more than 20.0 minutes per game for Kentucky this season. They will face the No. 14 seed Oakland Golden Grizzlies on Thursday.