Kentucky Men’s Basketball Unveils 2024-25 Nonconference Schedule

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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.

Opponent2023-24 RecordPostseasonFinal NET RankingFinal Ranking (AP/Coaches)KenPom.com Final RankingSeries HistoryLast Meeting
Alabama25-12NCAA Final Four93/414UK, 117-41UK won 117-95 on Feb. 24, 2024
Arkansas16-17115-/-108UK, 36-14UK won 111-102 on March 2, 2024
Auburn27-8NCAA First Round518/174UK, 98-23UK won 70-59 on Feb. 17, 2024
Brown13-18177-/-191N/AFirst Meeting
Bucknell14-19277-/-276N/AFirst Meeting
Clemson24-12NCAA Elite Eight3514/1519UK, 12-4UK won 76-61 on Nov. 29, 1997
Colgate25-10NCAA First Round125-/-150N/AFirst Meeting
Duke27-9NCAA Elite Eight109/97UK, 12-11Duke won 79-71 on Nov. 9, 2021
Florida24-12NCAA First Round29RV/RV26UK, 110-42UF won 94-91OT on Jan. 31, 2024
Georgia20-17NIT Semifinals100-/-84UK, 132-28UK won 105-96 on Jan. 20, 2024
Georgia State14-17222-/-218UK, 2-0UK won 73-46 on Dec. 6, 2005
Gonzaga27-8NCAA Sweet 161715/1612GU, 2-1GU won 89-85 on Feb. 10, 2024
Jackson State15-17300-/-309N/AFirst Meeting
Lipscomb20-12166-/-166UK, 2-0UK won 88-50 on Dec. 15, 2012
Louisville8-24216-/-185UK, 39-17UK won 95-76 on Dec. 21, 2023
LSU17-16NIT First Round94-/-95UK, 93-29LSU won 75-74 on Feb. 21, 2024
Mississippi St.21-14NCAA First Round31-/-34UK, 103-21UK won 91-89 on Feb. 27, 2024
Missouri8-24158-/-145UK, 15-3UK won 90-77 on Jan. 9, 2024
Ohio State22-14NIT Quarterfinals49-/-49UK, 11-10OSU won 71-65 on Dec. 21, 2019
Oklahoma20-1246-/-46UK, 3-0UK won 76-64 on Nov. 22, 2010
Ole Miss20-1290-/-86UK, 111-14UK won 75-63 on Feb. 13, 2024
South Carolina26-8NCAA First Round5125/2354UK, 54-15USC won 79-62 on Jan. 23, 2024
Tennessee27-9NCAA Elite Eight75/55UK, 161-77UK won 85-81 on March 9, 2024
Texas21-13NCAA Second Round30RV/RV25UK, 2-0UK won 63-51 on Dec. 5, 2014
Texas A&M21-15NCAA Second Round45RV/RV35UK, 13-6TAMU won 97-87 on March 15, 2024
Vanderbilt9-23202-/-183UK, 157-49UK won 93-77 on March 6, 2024
WKU22-12NCAA First Round

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