10 things Kentucky Basketball must do to beat Santa Clara

It’s here, March Madness, one of the most exciting events on the sports calendar.

This year, Kentucky Basketball is a 7-seed for the first time in program history and starts NCAA Tournament play in St. Louis, within driving distance for much of Big Blue Nation.

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Their first-round opponent, the 10-seeded Santa Clara Broncos, who are making their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1996, when Steve Nash led them to a first-round win over 7-seeded Maryland.

This year, the Broncos are a trendy 10-seed over a 7-seed pick as people are filling out their brackets.

This Kentucky team entered the season with Final Four expectations, and losing in the first round would be a colossal failure. What do the Wildcats need to do to ensure they don’t fall to a double-digit seed again? Here are 10 things:

Good Start: We see it every March, poor starts allow teams to gain ‘beer confidence,’ and they play above their typical performance. Santa Clara is a 10-seed, but they are ranked 35th in KenPom and are fully capable of getting out of the first round. That said, Kentucky is Kentucky; they are the more talented team. The Wildcats have to be the aggressor from the tip, get the home-like crowd involved, and take away Santa Clara’s hope early.

Take Care of the Ball: Santa Clara creates havoc on the defensive end, ranking top 15 nationally in steals per game (8.8 SPG). For Kentucky, taking care of the ball has been a struggle at times this season. With a record of 16-3 in games where they record 10 or fewer turnovers, they have a great chance of winning the game if they can keep the turnovers in single digits.

3-Point Defense: While top seeds can shoot themselves out of games in the NCAA Tournament, underdogs can shoot themselves into upset wins. Santa Clara, which attempts 29 3-pointers per game, top 25 nationally, can certainly do the same. Kentucky does rank in the top 50 in 3-point defense, but Santa Clara’s five-out offense will demand constant defensive communication.