Dick Vitale Knows UK Isn’t a Ridiculous Pick to Win National Title

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Dick Vitale surprised a lot of people when he picked Kentucky to win the national championship.

He has defending champion Connecticut, along with Baylor and Tennessee in the Final Four with UK beat UConn in the title game

“Many people have said come on you can’t be serious picking Kentucky to win the national championship,” Vitale said in a text message after I asked him why he picked UK, especially with the Cats coming off a 97-87 loss to Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals.

Vitale believes in what he’s seen from Kentucky when it has been at its best.

“They make like it is a ridiculous choice but I guess they didn’t see the Auburn and Tennessee games that were on the road,” the long-time ESPN college basketball analyst said. “Those two games really impressed me with the way they dominated on offense and defense.”

“Now yes, John Calipari’s team has had many bad moments as a team defensively throughout the season but showed in the two big wins their incredible talent and potential.”

Kentucky opens NCAA Tournament play tonight in Pittsburgh against Oakland. The Cats lost in the first round two years ago and lost in the second round two years ago. Kentucky has not been to the Final Four since 2015.

“March Madness has arrived and I still believe even after the  Cats were beaten in the SEC by Texas A&M that they will make a strong showing in the Big Dance,” Vitale said. “We will soon find out how mentally tough the Cats are as there is no denying that they have a multi-talented roster.”

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Vitale also has a new book — “UNTIL MY LAST BREATH” —  and all proceeds will go to his V Foundation for pediatric cancer research. He has raised millions of dollars to help fight cancer and if you would like an autographed copy of the book go to dickvitale.com.