We recommend watching the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament by combining subscriptions to Sling TV and Paramount+. Two longtime, backyard rivals will square off in the Sweet 16 as the No. 2 Tennessee Volunteers and the No.

The exact moment the SEC became a basketball conference is still up for debate. What Rick Barnes can tell you is when his league was barely known for basketball. It was 1987, the beginning of what will someday be a hall of fame career for Tennessee's current coach.

Kentucky plays Tennessee on Friday in Indianapolis, where the Wildcats have suffered some tough NCAA Tournament losses.

Still, three of Kentucky’s last five opponents scored at least 90 points. In the SEC Tournament, Alabama came within one point of the century mark. Six of UK’s last seven opponents averaged at least 1.0 points per possession. Alabama averaged 1.2 in Tuscaloosa. Auburn averaged 1.275 at Rupp.

As a former player in the Kentucky-Indiana rivalry, Mark Pope has fond memories and loves that he'll get to coach in it. He drew on one specific memory.

Mark Pope and the NCAA Tournament No. 3 seed Wildcats will next face Rick Barnes and No. 2 seed Tennessee in the Sweet 16.

Illinois basketball head coach Brad Underwood still has his eyes on the top prize, even after an early exit from the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

A loss would be no typical “end” for this team. It has likely one-and-dones in freshmen Kasparas Jakucionis and Will Riley, who are 11th and 21st, respectively, in the latest NBA.com mock draft. Fellow first-year player Tomislav Ivisic, a 7-1 center, has a chance to put himself more prominently on the map in this tournament.