Kentucky announces 2023-24 men’s basketball nonconference slate

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - The Kentucky men’s basketball team has set its 2023-24 nonconference schedule, according to a release.

On Thursday, head coach John Calipari announced the 13-game schedule includes nine contests at Rupp Arena and three neutral-site matchups.

Officials said the Cats will open the home schedule against New Mexico State on Nov. 6, travel to Chicago for a State Farm Champions Classic matchup against Kansas on Nov. 14, and finish the month youth with an ACC/SEC Challenge contest against Miami on Nov. 28. Kentucky will be up against North Carolina in the CBS Sports Classic on Dec. 16 in Atlanta, then travel to Louisville on Dec. 21 and host Gonzaga on Feb. 10.

Along with those games, the Cats will go up against Texas A&M University-Commerce on Nov. 10, Stonehill on Nov. 17 and Saint Joseph’s on Nov. 20 in a three-game Wildcat Challenge presented by Kentucky Tourism. Kentucky also has home games against Marshall on Nov. 24, UNC-Wilmington on Dec. 2, and Illinois State on Dec. 29 as well as a matchup against Penn at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Dec. 9.

In SEC play, officials said Kentucky will play against Florida, Tennessee and Vanderbilt along with Arkansas and Mississippi State twice in the regular season. Kentucky will also host Alabama, Georgia, Ole Miss and Missouri. The Cats will then travel to Auburn, LSE, South Carolina and Texas A&M.

In total, Kentucky will face 10 teams who reached the 2022-23 NCAA Tournament 13 times this season. According to the release, Kentucky will take on five Sweet Sixteen teams from a year ago.

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