Koby Brea hails "head of the snake" Lamont Butler following Kentucky March Madness win

Koby Brea produced a strong performance as the Kentucky Wildcats surged past Illinois 84-75 to reach the Sweet 16 in March Madness on Sunday. Apart from Brea, Lamont Butler and Otega Oweh also delivered inspiring performances for the Wildcats as they dominated Illinois from start to finish.

It has not been a smooth sailing season for Kentucky's starting guard, Lamont Butler, who has been suffering from a shoulder injury since January, missing several games. Butler played only eight minutes of Kentucky's SEC Tournament opening clash against Oklahoma and scored only two points. He missed the quarterfinal where Kentucky lost to Alabama.

NCAA Basketball: NCAA Tournament Second Round-Illinois at Kentucky - Source: Imagn

There were doubts over his availability in the NCAA Tournament, but despite all this, he scored 14 points and played a crucial role in helping Kentucky secure the Sweet 16 berth. Not only the fans, but coach Mark Pope and teammate Koby Brea were also impressed by Butler's outing.

"We have Lamont Butler as the head of the defence. So I feel like for any team, when you see him pick you up, it has to put something in your stomach, makes you a little nervous," Koby Brea said.

"Our team is mature but not all the time, as you can see. But he is the head of the snake for us. We see how hard he goes and it makes us go just as hard. He sets the tone for us," Brea continued.

Coach Mark Pope credited Butler for his winning mentality and also believed that his team was blessed with the guard's presence.

"He (Lamont Butler) is a winner," Pope highlighted. "We said it since Day 1, we are really blessed to have a winner walk through our doors at the University of Kentucky that cares about winning."

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Koby Brea, Lamont Butler and Otega Oweh delivered strong performances in Kentucky's win over Illinois

Koby Brea led Kentucky's charge against Illinois with 23 points, six boards and a solitary assist. Meanwhile, Lamont Butler was exceptional on the night with 14 points, five assists, two rebounds and three steals. He produced a defensive masterclass for Mark Pope's men. Otega Oweh also chipped in with 15 points, five rebounds and a solitary assist.

NCAA Basketball: NCAA Tournament Second Round-Illinois at Kentucky - Source: Imagn

Mark Pope will hope that his players will turn up again in Sweet 16 as they go up against No. 2 seed Tennessee Volunteers on Thursday at the Lucas Oil Stadium. Kentucky will be hopeful, as they have already beaten Tennessee in both their regular season clashes this season.