Evan Miyakawa sat in his dimly lit office, crunching numbers on his laptop. His latest analysis showed a troubling trend—Kentucky, the No. 3 seed in the Midwest Region, had a 20% chance of being upset by No. 14 Troy. The numbers weren’t just statistics; they told a story.
Kentucky’s recent loss to Alabama in the SEC Tournament had exposed vulnerabilities. Without Lamont Butler, their defense had suffered. While Butler was set to return, Miyakawa knew momentum could be unpredictable. Troy, a scrappy team with nothing to lose, had a fast-paced offense and a history of knocking off higher-seeded opponents.
The Wildcats had talent, but their focus in Milwaukee had to be razor-sharp. Miyakawa took to social media: “Kentucky must stay locked in. Troy isn’t here by accident. The numbers show an upset isn’t out of the question. Execution matters.”
Coach Mark Pope saw the post and gathered his players. “This isn’t just about talent—it’s about fight,” he told them.
The message was clear. Milwaukee wouldn’t be a stroll. The Wildcats had to prove the analytics wrong. The numbers predicted danger—but Kentucky had the power to rewrite the story.
