Head coach Mark Pope has announced the Kentucky men’s basketball team’s 2024-25 nonconference schedule, featuring 13 games including nine home contests at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center, an away game at Clemson, and three neutral-site matchups.
The Southeastern Conference schedule, along with television networks and game times, will be announced later.
Key highlights of the nonconference schedule include:
- Exhibition Games: Two to-be-determined exhibition contests will precede the official season opener.
- Season Opener: The Wildcats open their home schedule against Wright State on November 4 and Bucknell on November 9.
- Champions Classic: Kentucky will travel to Atlanta for a State Farm Champions Classic matchup against Duke on November 12.
- BBN Invitational: Kentucky will host Lipscomb (November 19), Jackson State (November 22), and WKU (November 26). The game against Jackson State marks the fourth installment of the Unity Series, aimed at raising awareness and funds for historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
- November Finale: Kentucky will play Georgia State at home on November 29 before two road games.
- SEC/ACC Challenge: The Wildcats face Clemson on December 3 and Gonzaga in Seattle on December 7.
- December Home Games: Kentucky will host Colgate (December 11), Louisville (December 14), and Brown (December 31).
- Neutral-Site Game: Kentucky will play Ohio State in the CBS Sports Classic in New York on December 21.
First-Time Opponents: Kentucky will face Brown, Bucknell, Colgate, and Jackson State for the first time. The schedule includes 13 teams that reached the 2023-24 NCAA Tournament, with five Sweet Sixteen teams among them.
Dynamic Roster for 2024-25: Coach Pope has assembled a roster featuring a blend of six fifth-year players, one senior, one junior, one sophomore, and three freshmen.
Veteran Leadership: Kentucky’s experienced players have combined for 845 collegiate games and nearly 8,000 career points. Key players include:
- Ansley Almonor, Lamont Butler, Andrew Carr, and Amari Williams: Each has scored over 1,000 points.
- Defensive Standouts: Butler and Williams were named their league’s defensive player of the year.
- Notable Awards: Koby Brea and Jaxson Robinson have been conference sixth man of the year, and Almonor was a most improved selection.
- Former McDonald’s All-American: Brandon Garrison.
- Experienced Shooters: Kerr Kriisa, with 238 career 3-pointers, and Otega Oweh, Oklahoma’s second-leading scorer last season.
Freshman Talent: The freshmen class includes Travis Perry and Trent Noah from Kentucky, and Collin Chandler, a top-35 signee from the class of 2022. Perry is the state’s all-time leading scorer, while Noah set a Sweet 16 state record with 19 three-pointers in a single tournament run.
Kentucky fans can look forward to an exciting and challenging nonconference schedule as the Wildcats prepare for the upcoming season.
| Opponent | 2023-24 Record | Postseason | Final NET Ranking | Final Ranking (AP/Coaches) | KenPom.com Final Ranking | Series History | Last Meeting |
| Alabama | 25-12 | NCAA Final Four | 9 | 3/4 | 14 | UK, 117-41 | UK won 117-95 on Feb. 24, 2024 |
| Arkansas | 16-17 | — | 115 | -/- | 108 | UK, 36-14 | UK won 111-102 on March 2, 2024 |
| Auburn | 27-8 | NCAA First Round | 5 | 18/17 | 4 | UK, 98-23 | UK won 70-59 on Feb. 17, 2024 |
| Brown | 13-18 | — | 177 | -/- | 191 | N/A | First Meeting |
| Bucknell | 14-19 | — | 277 | -/- | 276 | N/A | First Meeting |
| Clemson | 24-12 | NCAA Elite Eight | 35 | 14/15 | 19 | UK, 12-4 | UK won 76-61 on Nov. 29, 1997 |
| Colgate | 25-10 | NCAA First Round | 125 | -/- | 150 | N/A | First Meeting |
| Duke | 27-9 | NCAA Elite Eight | 10 | 9/9 | 7 | UK, 12-11 | Duke won 79-71 on Nov. 9, 2021 |
| Florida | 24-12 | NCAA First Round | 29 | RV/RV | 26 | UK, 110-42 | UF won 94-91OT on Jan. 31, 2024 |
| Georgia | 20-17 | NIT Semifinals | 100 | -/- | 84 | UK, 132-28 | UK won 105-96 on Jan. 20, 2024 |
| Georgia State | 14-17 | — | 222 | -/- | 218 | UK, 2-0 | UK won 73-46 on Dec. 6, 2005 |
| Gonzaga | 27-8 | NCAA Sweet 16 | 17 | 15/16 | 12 | GU, 2-1 | GU won 89-85 on Feb. 10, 2024 |
| Jackson State | 15-17 | — | 300 | -/- | 309 | N/A | First Meeting |
| Lipscomb | 20-12 | — | 166 | -/- | 166 | UK, 2-0 | UK won 88-50 on Dec. 15, 2012 |
| Louisville | 8-24 | — | 216 | -/- | 185 | UK, 39-17 | UK won 95-76 on Dec. 21, 2023 |
| LSU | 17-16 | NIT First Round | 94 | -/- | 95 | UK, 93-29 | LSU won 75-74 on Feb. 21, 2024 |
| Mississippi St. | 21-14 | NCAA First Round | 31 | -/- | 34 | UK, 103-21 | UK won 91-89 on Feb. 27, 2024 |
| Missouri | 8-24 | — | 158 | -/- | 145 | UK, 15-3 | UK won 90-77 on Jan. 9, 2024 |
| Ohio State | 22-14 | NIT Quarterfinals | 49 | -/- | 49 | UK, 11-10 | OSU won 71-65 on Dec. 21, 2019 |
| Oklahoma | 20-12 | — | 46 | -/- | 46 | UK, 3-0 | UK won 76-64 on Nov. 22, 2010 |
| Ole Miss | 20-12 | — | 90 | -/- | 86 | UK, 111-14 | UK won 75-63 on Feb. 13, 2024 |
| South Carolina | 26-8 | NCAA First Round | 51 | 25/23 | 54 | UK, 54-15 | USC won 79-62 on Jan. 23, 2024 |
| Tennessee | 27-9 | NCAA Elite Eight | 7 | 5/5 | 5 | UK, 161-77 | UK won 85-81 on March 9, 2024 |
| Texas | 21-13 | NCAA Second Round | 30 | RV/RV | 25 | UK, 2-0 | UK won 63-51 on Dec. 5, 2014 |
| Texas A&M | 21-15 | NCAA Second Round | 45 | RV/RV | 35 | UK, 13-6 | TAMU won 97-87 on March 15, 2024 |
| Vanderbilt | 9-23 | — | 202 | -/- | 183 | UK, 157-49 | UK won 93-77 on March 6, 2024 |
| WKU | 22-12 | NCAA First Round |
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