Sun Belt Champion Troy Faces Kentucky in NCAA Tournament.

Sun Belt Conference winner Troy goes up against SEC giant Kentucky in the opening round of the 2025 NCAA tournament at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on Friday. The game starts at 6:10 p.m. Central, with CBS providing television coverage.

Troy (23-10) enters the tournament as the No. 14 seed in the East Region, while Kentucky (22-11) holds the No. 3 seed. Most oddsmakers favor the Wildcats by a significant margin.

1. Troy Aiming for First Division I NCAA Tournament Win

Troy advanced to the NCAA Division II championship game in 1993 but has only made the NCAA tournament three times since moving to Division I.

The Trojans secured the Sun Belt tournament title in 2003 but were eliminated by Xavier in the first round. They repeated this achievement in 2017 but fell to Duke in their opener. A victory over Kentucky would mark Troy’s first NCAA tournament win at the Division I level.

This marks only the second NCAA tournament appearance for head coach Scott Cross, with his first coming in 2008 when he led UT-Arlington to the Big Dance after winning the Southland Conference tournament. His Mavericks lost to Memphis in the opening round.

Kentucky boasts one of the richest tournament histories in college basketball. The Wildcats have appeared in a record 62 tournaments and lead all programs in Sweet 16 (44) and Elite Eight (38) appearances. Their 17 Final Fours rank third behind North Carolina (21) and UCLA (19), while their eight national championships trail only UCLA’s 11.

New head coach Mark Pope brings extensive NCAA tournament experience, both as a player and a coach. He captained Kentucky’s 1996 national championship team and also played on the 1995 SEC title squad. As a coach, he led BYU to tournament appearances in 2021 and 2024.

2. Kentucky’s Recent March Madness Woes

Despite its storied past, Kentucky has struggled in recent tournaments, failing to reclaim its former dominance. The Wildcats last won a national title in 2012 and have not reached the Final Four since 2015—one of their longest droughts since the 1940s.

Kentucky has been upset by double-digit seeds in two of the last three tournaments. They suffered an 85-79 overtime loss to No. 15 St. Peter’s in 2022, followed by an 80-76 defeat against No. 14 Oakland in 2024. (Both losses occurred under former head coach John Calipari, who now leads Arkansas and orchestrated an upset of No. 7 Kansas on Thursday night.)

Since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, a No. 14 seed has defeated a No. 3 seed 23 times. Last year’s Oakland win over Kentucky was one such example, along with notable upsets like Abilene Christian over Texas in 2021, Mercer over Duke in 2014, and Bucknell over Kansas in 2005. Only two No. 14 seeds—Cleveland State (1986) and Chattanooga (1997)—have ever advanced to the Sweet 16.

3. Troy’s Experience vs. Kentucky’s Newcomers

While Troy has only three seniors on scholarship—starting point guard Tayton Conerway and forwards Theo Seng and Randarius Jones—the team is full of seasoned players.

The Trojans returned eight of their top ten scorers and seven of their nine leading rebounders from last season’s 20-win squad. Of their top 11 in minutes played this year, only freshman Cooper Campbell was not part of the 2023-24 team.

Eight Trojans have appeared in at least 59 games, and five have made 31-plus starts for the team. Center Jackson Fields leads the way with 94 games played (59 starts), followed by Conerway (65-35), forward Thomas Dowd (64-49), forward Victor Valdes (64-15), and guard Marcus Rigsby (63-53).

Conversely, Kentucky’s roster has been completely revamped, consisting of eight transfers and three freshmen. The Wildcats’ top eight scorers all transferred from other Division I programs, including starters Otega Oweh (Oklahoma), Lamont Butler (San Diego State), Jaxson Robinson (BYU), Andrew Carr (Wake Forest), and Amari Williams (Drexel).

This marks a departure from Calipari’s one-and-done philosophy, where freshmen played starring roles. Kentucky’s three first-year players—Trent Noah, Collin Chandler, and Travis Perry—average fewer than 11 minutes and 2.7 points per game.

4. Conerway and Oweh are Key Players

Conerway embodies Troy’s gritty approach, earning Sun Belt Player of the Year and Conference Tournament MVP honors. After being named Sun Belt Sixth Man of the Year last season, he has taken on a leadership role.

The former junior college standout from Burleson, Texas, leads Troy with 14.8 points per game and has been the team’s top scorer in six of the last seven outings. Despite standing just 6-foot-3, he boasts an impressive .472 field-goal percentage due to his finishing ability at the rim.

Conerway’s impact extends beyond scoring. He averages nearly five assists and three steals per game, has recorded as many as 13 rebounds in a single contest, and has even blocked 14 shots this season.

Similarly, Oweh is Kentucky’s catalyst. The 6-foot-4 junior leads the team in scoring (16.2 PPG), pulls down 4.6 rebounds per game, and shoots 78% from the free-throw line.

After an under-the-radar stint at Oklahoma, Oweh has emerged as one of the SEC’s top talents. He earned second-team all-conference honors and delivered a game-winning buzzer-beater against Missouri in the SEC tournament quarterfinals.

Another key player for Kentucky is Butler, who is expected to play despite suffering a shoulder injury in the SEC tournament. He leads the Wildcats in assists and steals and played a crucial role in San Diego State’s 2023 NCAA championship game run, hitting a game-winning shot in the Final Four against Florida Atlantic.

5. Troy’s Love for Waffle House Gains National Attention.

Troy’s working-class identity has been on full display, thanks to the team’s well-documented love for Waffle House.

During an interview on Kentucky Sports Radio, Cross revealed that he asks every recruit about their feelings toward the 24-hour diner. If they aren’t fans, Troy likely moves on to other prospects.

In a media call with Alabama reporters, Cross shared that the team celebrates birthdays—his included—at Waffle House and even holds team meetings there. He believes the restaurant aligns with the team’s hard-nosed mentality.

“Every one of our guys loves Waffle House,” Cross said. “You can’t be bougie if you want to be here. … That’s our identity. We hustle, we grind, and we ‘take the stairs.’ That’s how we compete.”

During his pregame press conference in Milwaukee, Cross doubled down on his Waffle House devotion, estimating that he has eaten there hundreds of times during his six seasons at Troy.

“Often after a win, it’s the only place open,” Cross said. “And we love it. They’re family. So yeah, the stories are true. None of it is made up.”