Kentucky's John Calipari on loss to Tennessee in 2019 SEC tourney semifinal Matt Stone, Louisville Courier Journal
Abilene Christian beat New Orleans on Saturday night to win the Southland Conference tournament and earn its first bid to the Big Dance and a spot opposite Kentucky in the first round Thursday in Jacksonville, Florida.
Abilene Christian shares the same name as Kentucky. Both are the Wildcats, but the similarities stop there. UK is going to be facing one of the true underdog stories of this NCAA Tournament in its first game.
Here are five things to know about UK's opening opponent:
Moving up quickly
Abilene Christian has only been competing at the Division I level since 2013-14, having moved up from Division II.