Kentucky basketball schedule 2024-25: Duke, Gonzaga amongst Wildcats’ high nonconference video games

For the primary time because the 2008-09 season, somebody aside from John Calipari will probably be roaming the sidelines for Kentucky. A shocking exit by Calipari to Arkansas earlier this spring prompted the Wildcats to rent away Mark Pope from his publish at BYU to take over a program he’s conversant in.

Kentucky opens the 2024-25 season on Nov. 4 at dwelling towards Wright State and faces Bucknell later within the week earlier than the meat of its schedule begins. The Wildcats following sport is a impartial web site showdown towards Duke, ranked No. 9 within the CBS Sports activities Prime 25 And 1,  in Atlanta in what must be one of many high faculty basketball video games of the season.

Different marquee nonconference video games for the Wildcats embody a conflict towards Gonzaga in Seattle, a house sport towards in-state rival Louisville, and a highway sport towards Clemson within the ACC-SEC Problem. Kentucky additionally faces Ohio State within the CBS Sports activities Basic at Madison Sq. Backyard.

Pope constructed a roster that options zero returning scholarship gamers. His first switch portal dedication got here from incoming freshman guard Collin Chandler, who spent the final two years on a Mormon mission. Chandler was Pope’s highest-rated signee (No. 33 general) throughout his tenure at BYU. Kentucky additionally landed high-profile commitments from BYU guard Jaxson Robinson, Dayton sharpshooter Koby Brea, West Virginia guard Kerr Kriisa, San Diego State guard Lamont Butler, and Oklahoma guard Otega Oweh.

Listed here are the highest 5 Kentucky’s nonconference video games to look at this season.

1. Duke

When: Nov. 12, 2024 | The place: State Farm Enviornment (Atlanta) in Champions Basic

Among the finest matchups within the sport will happen throughout the opening month in Sin Metropolis when Kentucky faces Duke in a battle of blue bloods. The Blue Devils are one other crew in rivalry to be the preseason top-ranked crew because of the arrival of five-star ahead Cooper Flagg — one of the crucial anticipated incoming freshmen in latest reminiscence. 

Nevertheless it’s not simply Flagg that makes the Blue Devils matchup with Kansas so interesting, as this system returns their (projected) beginning backcourt in Tyrese Proctor and Caleb Foster. Duke added Mason Gillis (Purdue), Maliq Brown (Syracuse) and Sion James (Tulane) to the top-ranked highschool recruiting class that options Flagg, Khaman Maluach, Isaiah Evans, Kon Knueppel, Patrick Ngongba ll and Darren Harris.

2. Gonzaga

When: Dec. 7, 2024 | The place: Local weather Pledge Enviornment (Seattle)

Gonzaga went into Lexington final season and knocked off Kentucky behind a monster efficiency from star ahead Graham Ike. Gonzaga has the luxurious of returning most of its beginning manufacturing from a crew that reached the Candy 16 and will supply Kentucky a priceless take a look at forward of SEC play.

Gonzaga returns Ryan Nembhard, Nolan Hickman, Ben Gregg, and Ike. The Bulldogs additionally added Pepperdine switch Michael Ajayi, who averaged 17.2 factors and 9.9 rebounds final season.

3. Louisville

When: Dec. 14, 2024 | The place: Rupp Enviornment (Lexington, Kentucky)

The hatred within the Kentucky-Louisville rivalry runs deep, and this sport must be far more aggressive this season. Louisville employed Charleston‘s Pat Kelsey to switch Kenny Payne after a dreadful two seasons with this system, and the Cardinals loaded up — equally to their in-state rival — through the switch portal.

Some new names becoming a member of the Louisville program embody Solar Belt Convention Participant of the Yr Terrence Edwards from James Madison, Colorado guard J’Vonne Hadley, Wisconsin‘s Chucky Hepburn, and Washington‘s Koren Johnson.

4. Ohio State

When: Dec. 21, 2024 | The place: Madison Sq. Backyard (New York) in CBS Sports activities Basic

After a robust finish to the 2023-24 season, Ohio State eliminated the interim tag from Jake Diebler’s title as a substitute of occurring a nationwide teaching search to discover a substitute for Chris Holtmann. 

The Buckeyes landed South Carolina guard Meechie Johnson, former Kentucky huge man Aaron Bradshaw, and Duke ahead Sean Stewart through the switch portal to a roster that returns chief scorer Bruce Thornton. 

5. Clemson

 When: Dec. 3, 2024 | The place: Littlejohn Coliseum (Clemson, S.C,)

Clemson is coming off its greatest season as a program in almost 45 years. The Tigers reached the Elite Eight for the primary time since 1980, and regardless of shedding star huge man PJ Corridor to the NBA Draft, ought to nonetheless be aggressive within the new-look ACC.

The ACC-SEC Problem will mark the primary true highway sport that Kentucky performs underneath Pope.

Kentucky 2024-25 schedule