Kentucky MBB announces two exhibitions for 2023-24 season
Kentucky men’s basketball will take on two preseason challengers before beginning the upcoming regular season.
On Monday morning, UK announced that the Wildcats will face a pair of exhibition opponents prior to the start of the 2023-24 campaign. Kentucky is set to take on Georgetown College on Friday, Oct. 27 and Kentucky State on Thursday, Nov. 2. Both games will be played at Rupp Arena in downtown Lexington. The Wildcats’ regular season begins on Monday, Nov. 6 at home against New Mexico State.
Times and television assignments for the exhibition games will be announced at a later date.
This will be the second straight season that Kentucky hosts in-state opponent Kentucky State. It will serve as the 2023 edition of the Unity Series, which “aims to raise awareness of the missions of the HBCUs and to raise funds to provide opportunities for students at their institutions.” UK is 3-0 all-time against the Thorobreds, having won in 2015, 2019, and 2022.
As for nearby Georgetown College, this will be the fourth time in history that they’ll play Kentucky in an exhibition. The Wildcats beat the Tigers in 2005, 2014, and 2019. From the early 1900s to the late 1930s, these two programs would play on a regular basis. According to BigBlueHistory, Kentucky holds an overall record of 38-15 (exhibitions included) against Georgetown.
Throughout school history, Kentucky is 150-12 all-time in exhibition matchups, including winners of 29 straight. This includes the Wildcats’ 4-0 run at the GLOBL JAM in Toronto over the summer. UK has lost just one exhibition game (47-1) under head coach John Calipari, the lone loss coming in 2014 against the Dominican Republic, 63-62.
Kentucky MBB 2023-24 schedule
| Date | Opponent/Event | Location |
| Oct. 27 | Georgetown College [EXH] | Central Bank Center at Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.) |
| Nov. 2 | Kentucky State [EXH] | Central Bank Center at Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.) |
| Nov. 6 | New Mexico State | Central Bank Center at Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.) |
| Nov. 10 | Texas A&M-Commerce | Central Bank Center at Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.) |
| Nov. 14 | vs. Kansas | United Center (Chicago) |
| Nov. 17 | Stonehill | Central Bank Center at Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.) |
| Nov. 20 | Saint Joseph’s | Central Bank Center at Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.) |
| Nov. 24 | Marshall | Central Bank Center at Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.) |
| Nov. 28 | Miami | Central Bank Center at Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.) |
| Dec. 2 | UNC-Wilmington | Central Bank Center at Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.) |
| Dec. 9 | vs. Penn | Wells Fargo Center (Philadelphia) |
| Dec. 16 | vs. North Carolina | State Farm Arena (Atlanta) |
| Dec. 21 | at Louisville | KFC Yum! Center (Louisville, Ky.) |
| Dec. 29 | Illinois State | Central Bank Center at Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.) |
| Jan. 6 | at Florida | Exactech Arena (Gainesville, Fla.) |
| Jan. 9 | Missouri | Central Bank Center at Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.) |
| Jan. 13 | at Texas A&M | Reed Arena (College Station-Bryan, Texas) |
| Jan. 17 | Mississippi State | Central Bank Center at Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.) |
| Jan. 20 | Georgia | Central Bank Center at Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.) |
| Jan. 23 | at South Carolina | Colonial Life Arena (Columbia, S.C.) |
| Jan. 27 | at Arkansas | Bud Walton Arena (Fayetteville, Ark.) |
| Jan. 31 | Florida | Central Bank Center at Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.) |
| Feb. 3 | Tennessee | Central Bank Center at Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.) |
| Feb. 6 | at Vanderbilt | Memorial Gymnasium (Nashville, Tenn.) |
| Feb. 10 | Gonzaga | Central Bank Center at Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.) |
| Feb. 13 | Ole Miss | Central Bank Center at Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.) |
| Feb. 17 | at Auburn | Auburn Arena (Auburn, Ala.) |
| Feb. 21 | at LSU | Pete Maravich Center (Baton Rouge, La.) |
| Feb. 24 | Alabama | Central Bank Center at Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.) |
| Feb. 27 | at Mississippi State | Humphrey Coliseum (Starkville, Miss.) |
| March 2 | Arkansas | Central Bank Center at Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.) |
| March 6 | Vanderbilt | Central Bank Center at Rupp Arena (Lexington, Ky.) |
| March 9 | at Tennessee | Thompson-Boling Arena (Knoxville, Tenn.) |
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