Takeaways From Kentucky Basketball's Non-Conference Schedule
Kentucky Basketball released its 2021-22 non-conference schedule on Monday to a roar of unenthusiasm from Big Blue Nation. The home schedule looks great for keeping a winning record ahead of SEC play; however, it is not-so-great for season ticket holders.
At first glance, the lack of marquee home opponents jumps off the page with only one game, the Louisville game, bringing Power 5 competition to Lexington. The eight other non-conference home opponents come from the Horizon League, the Northeast Conference, the MAC, the SWAC, the America East Conference, the A-Sun, and the Big South.
John Calipari will get more than nine wins this year. This schedule will see to it.
Other instant reactions and takeaways from the drop…
Michigan game got canceled
A trip to Michigan was on Kentucky’s schedule, and then it wasn’t.
Originally, the plan was to travel to Ann Arbor for a game against Juwan Howard’s Wolverines on Saturday, December 4, 2021, part of a three-game series that was supposed to begin in London’s O2 Arena in 2020. Once COVID shut the world down, the London game was moved to 2022, and Michigan was awarded hosting privileges for the first of the three games. Kentucky would host in December 2023.
Now the series is on hold as Michigan is noticeably absent from the schedule release. “We are in conversations with Michigan to preserve the series at a future date,” a UK spokesperson said.
December 4 is the SEC Championship, so we’ll be busy with Kentucky Football that day anyway.
Notre Dame to host the Cats
Another change to pre-COVID plans, Kentucky will travel to South Bend for a game against Notre Dame this upcoming December, not next season as originally planned. Like the Michigan series, Kentucky signed on for three games with Notre Dame; one home, one away, one neutral. Kentucky hosted Notre Dame in Rupp in 2020 (a tough loss) and will return the favor this season, one year ahead of schedule.
The location for the neutral game in 2022-23 was still being discussed earlier this month, per Jon Rothstein:
Just a guess, it looks like the Michigan game was sacrificed for the road trip to Notre Dame to avoid consecutive road environments. Michigan announced San Diego State will replace Kentucky on December 4, so the scheduling conflict wasn’t on Michigan’s end. Kentucky is at Notre Dame on December 11.
Louisville comes to town on a… Wednesday?
With Christmas falling on a Saturday this year, Kentucky and Louisville will instead play their annual rivalry game on the Wednesday before Santa visits, December 22.
The last time Christmas fell on a Saturday, in 2010, the game waited until the following Friday for a New Year’s Eve game. Kentucky won, 78-63, in the KFC Yum! Center.
Another non-Saturday game in recent memory, Kentucky hosted Louisville on a Friday afternoon in 2017. The Cats won that one by 29 before Kentucky Football’s Music City Bowl game later that day.
Louisville won the most recent Wednesday game (by only three points at Louisville) in 2016. Pure luck.
Tubby Smith to the rafters
Former Kentucky head coach Tubby Smith will make his long-awaited return to Rupp Arena for a New Year’s Eve game against the school he coached to the 1998 national championship. Even better, Smith will be honored before he coaches High Point, his alma mater, against the Cats in a ceremony long overdue.
John Calipari did not explicitly say Smith’s name will go into the rafters in his tweet announcing the game, but sources tell KSR a banner is in the works to honor Smith from up top forever.
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