By Keith Taylor
Kentucky Today
Kentucky officially released its basketball schedule Tuesday.
The Wildcats will play Howard in the season opener on Nov. 7, followed by a home game against Duquesne four days later before facing Michigan State in the State Farm Champions Classic on Nov. 15 in Indianapolis.
Kentucky will play its first true road game at Gonzaga on Nov. 20. The Wildcats also will face Michigan on Dec. 4 in London, England, and will close out December with UCLA in the CBS Sports Classic on Dec. 17, a road game at Missouri in the Southeastern Conference opener on Dec. 28 and a home game against Louisville in Rupp Arena on New Year’s Eve for a noon tipoff.
Kentucky plays defending national champion Kansas in the Big 12/SEC Challenge at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 28 in Lexington.
The exhibition opponents include Missouri Western State on Oct. 30, followed by Kentucky State on Nov. 3. Both games will be played at 7 p.m. and televised on the SEC Network.
Big Blue Madness is set for 7 p.m. on Oct. 14, followed by the Blue-White game on Oct. 22 in Pikeville.
Kentucky Schedule
October
14 — Big Blue Madness, 7 p.m., SECN
22 — Blue-White Game, 6 p.m., SECN
30 — Missouri Western State, 7 p.m., SECN
November
3 — Kentucky State, 7 p.m., SECN+
7 — Howard, 6:30 p.m., SECN
11 — Duquesne, 7 p.m., SECN
15 — Michigan State, 7 p.m., ESPN
17 — S.Carolina State, 7 p.m., SECN
20 — at Gonzaga, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
23 — N. Florida, 4 p.m., SECN+
29 — Bellarmine, 7 p.m., SECN+
December
4 — vs. Michigan, noon, 1 p.m., ABC
10 — Yale, 1 p.m., SECN
17 vs. UCLA, 5:15 p.m., CBS
21 —Florida A&M, TBA
28 — at Missouri, 7 p.m., SECN
31 — Louisville, noon, CBS
January
3 — LSU, 8 p.m., ESPN
7 — at Alabama, 1 p.m., ESPN
10 — S. Carolina, 7 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2
14 — at Tennessee, noon, ESPN
17 — Georgia, 9 p.m., ESPN
21 — Texas A&M, 2 p.m., ESPN
24 — at Vanderbilt, 9 p.m., SECN
28 — Kansas, 8 p.m., ESPN
31 — at Ole Miss, 9 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2
February
4 — Florida, 8:30 p.m., ESPN
7 — Arkansas, 9 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2
11 — at Georgia, noon, ESPN/ESPN2
15 — at Miss. State, 8:30 p.m., SECN
18 — Tennessee, 1 p.m., CBS
22 — at Florida, 7 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2
25 — Auburn, 4 p.m., CBS
March
1 — Vanderbilt, 7 p.m., SECN
4 — at Arkansas, 2 p.m., CBS
8-12 — SEC Tourney, ESPN, SECN