According to a Wilson employee, who spoke to a podcast under the Barstool conglomerate, the company’s EVO NXT basketballs are being overinflated.

On the social media show “Pardon My Take”, it was reported that the “cushiony” EVO NXT is being overinflated due to their aforementioned nature. Generally, the host said, the “Evolution” line of Wilson basketballs is inflated to the point of near-maximum, only leaving room for a little bit of “give” when the ball is squeezed.

But with the NXT, due to the increased amount of cushion, the amount of give the ball is capable of is difficult to determine. As a result, the balls are being inflated to maximum capacity to compensate for that discrepancy, leading to inconsistent PSI levels and balls with too much air.

Of course, this means that players, in the most important stretch in the college basketball season, may be met with a different experience and ball in each subsequent game. This may seem silly, but there are numbers to back it up.

According to Indiana Sports Coverage, who studied the ball in the 2022-23 season, they found that Purdue shot 40% from three on the road with Nike balls, compared to just 23% away from home with the Wilson EVO NXT. A 17% difference.

As unbelievable as it sounds, there is currently no standard PSI level applied in either March Madness or the NCAA as a whole.

Should there be? If it means providing athletes with a consistent basketball that they can get used to – meaning it dribbles, bounces, and deflects the same way in every single game – then absolutely. This sort of mishap seems impossible given the scale of both college basketball and March Madness on the larger sports stage, but then again, is anyone really surprised?

March Madness has arrived, my friends!

Just 11 months after taking the Kentucky basketball head coaching job, Mark Pope has not only led the Wildcats to the NCAA Tournament but to a 3-seed. However, Kentucky has fallen in the first round as a 3-seed or better in two of the last three seasons, while the program hasn’t been to the second weekend since 2019.

Will Pope earn his first NCAA Tournament win and make a run?

The first challenger will be the 14-seeded Troy Trojans. Led by sixth-year head coach Scott Cross, Troy is making their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017 and their third ever.

Described as a mid-major version of Texas A&M, the Trojans are a tough-nosed group with some strong defensive and rebounding metrics. They’re exactly the kind of team that can muddy things up and make this an ugly NCAA Tournament game that sees neither team build a big lead while they scratch and claw to the finish.

Let’s take a look at the matchup.

Win the Rebounding Battle

The Trojans’ strongest straight is their offensive rebounding, ranked fourth nationally in offensive rebounding percentage (37.7%) and eleventh nationally in offensive rebounds per game (11.8).

Fortunately for the Wildcats, they have seen and beaten several teams that excel in offensive rebounding categories, including Texas A&M (1st), Florida (8th), and Duke (25th).

Kentucky will have a size advantage as Troy’s tallest starter is 6-foot-8. However, they attack the boards as a team. The Wildcats have to be the team that wants it more.

Dictate the Pace

Troy is a team that wants to play at a slow pace and “muck it up,” which has been the recipe for NCAA Tournament upsets in the past. While you’d like to think Kentucky can dominate a 14-seed, this Trojans team will likely keep that from happening.

Troy is a sneaky athletic team, but Kentucky has the size advantage and the talent advantage. Impose your will on an inferior team.

Or, as Mark Fox tells the team, “Be the hammer, not the nail.”

Win the Turnover Battle

Troy’s second-biggest strength is their ability to generate turnovers, forcing their opponents to turn the ball over more than 13 times per game, with an average of nine steals per game.

However, they also struggle to take care of the ball, coughing the ball up more than 13 times per game on average. Expect this game to be high on the turnover count.

What was once a strength for Kentucky, taking care of the ball has been a challenge as guard injuries have grown over the season. Over the last nine games, Kentucky has turned the ball over an average of 12.5 times per game, including 16 vs. Alabama in the SEC Tournament.

As powerful as the Wildcat offense is, they cannot afford to give up possessions nor allow a below-average Troy team to get easy looks off turnovers.

Kentucky Wildcats Basketball’s Path to a Final Four

If you look at Kentucky’s bracket, there should not be many complaints.

Of the 1-seeds, Houston is the worst offensively. Of the 2-seeds, Kentucky gets one they know well and have beaten twice in Tennessee. The Vols are still a very dangerous team, but this is still more favorable than having…say, Alabama as the 2-seed.

There are some dangerous double-digit seeds in McNeese and Utah State. However, there are no obvious ‘matchup nightmares’ for Kentucky. Even without Jaxson Robinson, everyone in Kentucky’s region appears to be beatable, which didn’t seem like something we could say if teams like Alabama, Florida, or Auburn were in it.

Another key advantage is travel. From a geographical standpoint, Milwaukee and Indianapolis are the best sites for fans to travel to and well within manageable drives for Kentucky fans, especially with Coach Pope willing to help with gas money.

Is Kentucky favored to make the Final Four from this region? No. In fact, FanDuel gives Kentucky the fourth-best odds to win it at +1000. Houston (+120) and Tennessee (+370) are obviously ahead, but you may be surprised to see 8-seed Gonzaga with better odds at +800.

Have injuries hurt the ceiling of this roster? Yes. In March, it’s all about giving yourself a chance. Pope and the Cats have a chance to make some noise. And you never know when upsets will open up a region much more than it looks ahead of the Big Dance.

All told, if Kentucky is going to make the Final Four, the path would likely be Troy, Illinois in the Orlando Antigua Bowl, Tennessee Round 3, and a Houston team that’s the likeliest 1-seed to come up short of making the Final Four.

Daunting, but not impossible.

Opposing Players to Watch

G Tayton Conerway, 6-3, 186 lbs

• 14.3 PPG
• 4.8 APG
• 4.6 RPG
• Sun Belt Player of the Year

F Myles Rigsby, 6-6, 190 lbs

• 12.0 PPG
• 4.0 RPG
• 45.4% FG

F Thomas Dowd, 6-8, 225 lbs

• 9.8 PPG
• 6.8 RPG
• 1.0 SPG

Kentucky Basketball vs. Troy Trojans

Time: 7:10 PM ET on March 21st
Location: Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
TV Channel: CBS
Announcers: Kevin Harlan, Dan Bonner, Stan Van Gundy and Lauren Shehadi will call the action.
Live Online Stream: March Madness Live, but accessing that requires a valid login with a cable service. There is a one-hour free trial, however.
Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens will have the call on the UK Sports Radio Network.
Replay: Check local listings on CBS Sports Network and March Madness Live
Rosters: UK | TROY
Stats to Know: UK | TROY
KenPom: UK | TROY
Team Sheet: UK | TROY

Odds: FanDuel Sportsbook has Kentucky listed as an 11.5-point favorite with an over/under of 152.5. ESPN gives the Cats an 89% chance to advance. BartTorvik (87%) and KenPom (86%) are close behind, while EvanMiya gives Kentucky a 79.5% chance of getting the W.

Predictions: BartTorvik and Haslametrics both go with an 82-69 win for Kentucky. KenPom has it at 82-70, while EvanMiya has it at 79-70. I believe that the team comes prepared and focused. Mark Pope gets his first NCAA Tournament win, so I’m going with an 84-70 victory, Kentucky!

Send us your Kentucky vs. Troy predictions in the comments!

And Go CATS!!

Also posted on A Sea of Blue.

“I’m ready to die on the court next game.”

That was the sentiment shared by Koby Brea following Kentucky’s blowout loss to Alabama and subsequent exit from the SEC Tournament.

The game marked the team’s last before March Madness begins, forcing the Wildcats to sit with their largest loss of the season for what will turn out to be one of their largest breaks between matches, too.

For Brea, in spite of the pain that comes with a 29-point loss, the focus is on retaining urgency.

We gotta be prepared, every possession is a battle,” he said after the game. “… a great level of intensity every single possession. Not taking any possessions off.”

What’s more, on a team marked by a historical number of seniors, the looming prospect that every game from here on out could be their last lends itself to the team’s energy — and according to Brea, that won’t be the case.

“It’s my last college game… obviously, that’s not gonna be the case… we really have the chance to do something special.”

Brea and the ‘Cats enter March in an unprecedented manner for the program; not only is the team led by a new coach and stacked with seniors, but in the new era of NIL and transfer portal mania, for many schools, next season is already beginning.

If Kentucky, this Kentucky, is to survive, they’ll have to block out all distractions in what’s already happened and what will happen alike. It’s a matter of being present, maintaining urgency, and doing “something special.”

Their last chance at a run begins this Friday against the Troy Trojans in the Round of 64. Thankfully, if Brea is correct, it won’t be the last time we see these one-of-a-kind ‘Cats play.