Kentucky vs. Santa Clara: NCAA Tournament Predictions & Preview

by BettingPros Staff |
Mar 15, 2026

The 2026 NCAA Tournament is officially here! The March Madness Bracket is set, and first-round NCAA Tournament matchups are in place. It’s time to make your picks and predictions for the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament! We’re here to help as we’ll have picks and predictions for each of the first round 2026 NCAA Tournament games. Here are our NCAA Tournament predictions and preview for Kentucky vs. Santa Clara.

2026 NCAA Tournament Predictions & Preview: Kentucky vs. Santa Clara

Here are the odds for this opening-round matchup of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. Let’s dive into our preview and predictions for this NCAA Tournament matchup.

Kentucky 2026 NCAA Tournament Preview

Mark Pope’s second season in Lexington has been nothing but adversity management, and it didn’t quite produce the results the fanbase expected. Kentucky started the year ninth in the AP Preseason Poll, then it was seemingly all downhill from there with the injuries that have hit this squad. Kentucky went 9-4 with the 50th-ranked offense in non-conference play. Then, SEC play started, and the Wildcats ended up as a 9-seed in the conference tournament, playing in the first round against LSU.

The problem is that the roster never found its footing for an entire month-long stretch. Injuries created lineup inconsistencies that made it hard to build any real continuity, and a 2-5 finish to the regular season raised fresh questions about this group’s ceiling. This is an all-around team propped up by Otega Oweh that has competed against one of the toughest schedules in hoops. Kentucky does everything reasonable well but nothing spectacularly, ranking in the top 75 in offensive turnover rate and offensive rebound rate, and 102nd in effective field goal percentage.

Over their last month of play, the Wildcats went 4-5, ranking outside the top 40 on both ends of the court. Kentucky’s brand is bigger than this team, and the Wildcats lack the talent to make a deep run. Pope will have them ready to compete. Whether that’s enough to make it to the second weekend is left to be discovered.

Santa Clara 2026 NCAA Tournament Preview

Herb Sendek’s Broncos had their best season in decades, finishing 26-8 overall and reaching the WCC Tournament championship game for the first time since 2007. Santa Clara lost to Gonzaga 79-68 in the final, but the run sent a clear message to the selection committee.

Junior guard Sash Gavalyugov was the breakout star of the WCC Tournament, hitting the dagger three in the final seconds to beat St. Mary’s 76-71 in the semifinals before the championship loss, finishing with 42 points and 17 assists across three tournament games. Christian Hammond led the Broncos in scoring during the regular season and delivered 24 points in the championship against Gonzaga. Freshman Allen Graves emerged as a dangerous interior presence off the bench and a serious NBA prospect with some of the most efficient numbers in all of basketball. Only Cameron Boozer ranked ahead of him in Bart Torvik's box plus-minus metric.

The knock against Santa Clara all season is that their schedule strength is limited, and they were 0-3 against Gonzaga on the year. On Bart Torvik, Santa Clara actually jumps from 28th to 25th when sorting for top-100 opponents. The Broncos are capable of stepping up in class, they pass the eye test, and they are very capable of a first-round upset. The profile of this team, built around Gavalyugov’s shot-creation, Hammond’s versatility, and Graves' talent, gives them a chance to make a higher-seeded opponent uncomfortable on any given night.

More NCAA Tournament Predictions & Previews

#1 Duke vs. #16 Siena
#8 Ohio State vs. #9 TCU
#5 St. John’s vs. #12 Northern Iowa
#4 Kansas vs. #13 Cal Baptist
#6 Louisville vs. #11 South Florida
#3 Michigan State vs. #14 North Dakota State
#7 UCLA vs. #10 UCF
#2 UConn vs. #15 Furman

#1 Arizona vs. #16 LIU
#8 Villanova vs. #9 Utah State
#5 Wisconsin vs. #12 High Point
#4 Arkansas vs. #13 Hawai’i
#11 Texas vs. North Carolina State
#3 Gonzaga vs. #14 Kennesaw State
#7 Miami (FL) vs. #10 Missouri
#2 Purdue vs. #15 Queens

#16 UMBC vs. Howard
#8 Georgia vs. #9 Saint Louis
#5 Texas Tech vs. #12 Akron
#4 Alabama vs. #13 Hofstra
#11 Miami OH vs. SMU
#3 Virginia vs. #14 Wright State
#7 Kentucky vs. #10 Santa Clara
#2 Iowa State vs. #15 Tennessee State

#16 Prairie View A&M vs. Lehigh
#8 Clemson vs. #9 Iowa
#5 Vanderbilt vs. #12 McNeese
#4 Nebraska vs. #13 Troy
#6 North Carolina vs. #11 VCU
#3 Illinois vs. #14 Penn
#7 Saint Mary’s vs. #10 Texas A&M
#2 Houston vs. #15 Idaho

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