Jay Bilas identifies key for Kentucky against Illinois in Round of 32

Despite being a 3-seed in NCAA Tournament, Kentucky is a 1.5-point underdog against 6-seed Illinois on Sunday, according to FanDuel. On Sunday’s episode of College GameDay, ESPN’s Jay Bilas revealed the keys to a Kentucky victory.

“This is really going to be all about defense in this game for Kentucky,” Bilas said. “Illinois is a high-volume 3-point shooting team, but they execute very well in the half court. They average 1.21 points per possession in the half court, and they’re elite at executing at the end of a clock.

“… A key is going to be Lamont Butler and his pressure at the point of attack when Kylan Boswell has the ball. This is going to be a defensive game for Kentucky. Kentucky can score. They’re going to score. I’m not worried about that.”

Kentucky’s defense has improved throughout the season but still isn’t its strong suit. The Wildcats allow 77.3 points per game while holding opponents to 43.5% shooting from the field and 30.6% shooting from beyond the arc.

In contrast, Kentucky averages 85 points per game, the sixth-most in the country. Nonetheless, it was Kentucky’s defense that shined in the Wildcats’ first-round win over Troy.

In the 76-57 victory, Mark Pope and Co. held Troy to just 34.9% shooting and scored 19 points off the Trojans’ turnovers. Former Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year Lamont Butler was key to Kentucky’s defensive success, often matching up with Troy’s primary ball-handler.

Bilas believes Butler will have to be even more disruptive for Kentucky to pull out a win on Sunday. After all, the Fighting Illini have far more weapons than Troy.

“[Illinois has] got terrific talent,” Bilas said. “We’ve already talked about Kasparas Jakucionis, who was one rebound away from a triple double in the first round. He’s excellent at pick and rolls. He’s an outstanding passer. But you also have to deal with Will Riley, who had 23 points in the opening round game for Illinois. Then Kylan Boswell, who transferred in — even though he’s an Illinois guy — transferred in from Arizona, who’s a big, strong point guard.

“… Can [Kentucky] stop Illinois? That’s going to be the issue. Can they dig down and have one of their best defensive performances? And that has not been the lead story with Kentucky.”

Kentucky and Illinois will square off at 5:15 p.m. ET on Sunday. The game will air live on CBS. The winner will advance to the Sweet Sixteen.