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Kentucky will play Big Ten powerhouse Purdue and coach Matt Painter in a preseason game at Rupp Arena on Oct. 24.
Mark Pope embraces the matchup and loves “playing great teams all the time.”
“Anytime there’s any chance we can get great teams to come to Rupp, we’re going to take it, if it’s in the exhibition season or the preseason or the conference season, we’ll take it,” Pope said.
“We get to walk in here in late October and play the No. 1 team in the country, and I’m really excited about that. I’m excited about that for our fanbase.”
Pope added that another exhibition game is in the works, but didn’t speculate on the potential opponent.
“We’re working on another exhibition game that I think is going to be terrific,” he said. “I’m excited for our fanbase. I’m excited about it for college basketball. I’m excited about it for our guys, because when you play against great teams, it teaches you so much about yourself.
“The chance to do that in an exhibition where the cost might not be so high, and get to do it really early in the season, where it’s not just the data you receive after the game and during the game, but it’s all of the energy and juice that it adds to your locker room every day, during the summer and during the fall, when you’re like, hey, we’re preparing it, guys, this is coming way faster than you might anticipate. I think those are all real bonuses.”
Kentucky’s schedule has yet to be completed, but the non-conference slate includes instate rival Louisville on Nov. 11, Michigan State in the Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden a week later on Nov. 18, Gonzaga in Nashville on Dec. 5.
The renewal of the Indiana rivalry begins next season, but the date has yet to be set
3 Responses
Exhibition games should be against the best teams you can schedule. They don’t hurt your record if you lose and they give you a chance to see what works and what needs work. I like the holiday tournaments too. You get tested against better teams and it gets you off of your home floor. A couple of pre-conference losses isn’t necessarily a bad thing as long as it is not against a cupcake team.
How about the lineup of Chandler/Oweh/Noah/Williams/Potter. I’d love to see that.
The exhibition games might give us a chance to see all the KY boys on the floor together. Might be a lot to ask, but it would be good to see.