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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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The first true March Madness classic arrived on Friday, and the Kentucky Wildcats survived it by inches.
Down three with seconds left, Kentucky looked finished against the Santa Clara Broncos, until Otega Oweh delivered a shot that instantly entered NCAA Tournament lore.
The senior guard pulled up from near half-court and banked in a miracle three at the buzzer, forcing overtime and flipping the entire game’s momentum.
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Kentucky rode that emotional surge to an 89–84 win, with Oweh pouring in 35 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists in a superstar performance.
It was chaos, it was drama, it was everything March is supposed to be.
But within minutes of the celebration, a new storyline took over, and it came from one of the loudest, most respected voices in basketball.
On the broadcast desk, Charles Barkley didn’t sugarcoat it.
He acknowledged the shot. He gave Oweh his flowers. But then he pivoted.
"He just made a heck of a shot. But the thing was, Kentucky, man, they got to find a way to play faster because they're not a good shooting team," Barkley said. "They got away today, but when they play Iowa State in the next round, they're going to have to find a way to score in the half-court because their full-court offense. That's all they've got going right now."
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Even in victory, Kentucky showed signs that support Barkley’s critique.
Oweh carried the offense, accounting for nearly half of the team's points. But outside of him, consistency has been an issue all season.
Secondary scorers have fluctuated, and when Oweh has been contained in prior games, the offense has stalled.
That aligns with Barkley’s core point that Kentucky thrives in transition and broken plays, but when forced into a set offense, their shot creation can bog down.
Against Santa Clara, that nearly cost them.
The Broncos pushed the pace, matched scoring bursts, and forced Kentucky into a back-and-forth game featuring 20 lead changes.
A more disciplined team might not let Kentucky escape.
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That matters right now because Kentucky’s path is about to stiffen dramatically.
The Wildcats entered as a No. 7 seed and now likely face a matchup with No. 2 seed Iowa State Cyclones, a team built on defensive discipline and half-court execution.
In other words, the exact kind of opponent that punishes the flaws Barkley just highlighted.
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