In his first season on the job, Mark Pope leads the Kentucky Wildcats back to the Sweet 16 for the first time in six years. Koby Brea was the offensive star of the night.

While Kentucky was busy earning its way into the Sweet 16, head coach Mark Pope was adding another year onto his Wildcats contract, as well as earning a hefty bonus at the same time. Pope has turned his first season at Kentucky into a successful one by advancing to the second week of the NCAA Tournament following an 84-75 victory over Illinois on Sunday.

Koby Brea led the Kentucky Wildcats with 23 points in a 84-75 win over the Illinois Fighting Illini, propelling Kentucky to its first Sweet 16 appearance since 2019. In addition to Brea’s 23 points he added six rebounds and one steal while shooting 10-of-16 from the field and 3-of-8 from the three-point line in the victory.