Exhibition Slate Bolstered by New NCAA Rules
Capitalizing on a new NCAA rule allowing three exhibition contests, the Wildcats will play all tune-up games inside Rupp Arena. Kentucky opens exhibition play against Little Rock on October 16, followed by a matchup against Texas Tech on October 23, and wraps up the exhibition schedule against UCF on October 28, as reported by UK Athletics. Following the exhibitions, the regular-season opener is slated for November 3 against Manhattan.
Non-Conference Tests and Neutral-Site Showdowns
The regular season features 15 opponents that reached the NCAA Tournament last year, alongside tournament qualifiers Texas Tech and UCF from the exhibition slate. According to UK Athletics, the Wildcats will face 12 teams ranked inside ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25, with six of those games occurring at home and five against top-10 opponents. Key matchups include facing Kansas in the Champions Classic at the United Center in Chicago on November 10, playing Indiana at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on November 20, traveling to Virginia for the SEC/ACC Challenge on December 2, and meeting North Carolina at Madison Square Garden in New York on December 19.
Southeastern Conference Schedule and Roster Outlook
Southeastern Conference play begins on January 2 when Kentucky travels to Norman, Oklahoma, to face Oklahoma at the Lloyd Noble Center. The conference home slate features games against opponents such as Tennessee on January 23, Alabama on February 6, and Auburn on February 27, before concluding the regular season on March 6 at Florida. According to UK Athletics, the program returns five players from last season’s NCAA Tournament Round of 32 squad: Braydon Hawthorne, Malachi Moreno, Trent Noah, Reece Potter, and Kam Williams. Moreno earned an All-SEC Freshman Team selection after starting 30 games and leading the team in rebounds per game.
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