Kentucky Wildcats Basketball: Breaking down the out of conference schedule
By Paul Jordan
Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
BOSTON (Rupp Arena, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015)
Kentucky will entertain Boston for the second-consecutive season and the third time under Calipari on Nov. 24. UK is 4-0 all-time against the Terriers, which includes an 89-65 victory a season ago. Junior Dominque Hawkins had a career-high seven points in the win, including a highlight-reel alley-oop dunk in the second half. This will be the third game as part of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Classic.
The Terriers are led by fifth-year head coach Joe Jones. Jones has guided Boston to a pair of postseason appearances and a regular-season Patriot League championship in 2014. The Terriers will return leading-scorer Cedric Hankerson (15.9) as well as John Papale, who shared team most valuable player honors with Hankerson. Papale averaged 9.2 points and dished out a team-high 102 assists a season ago.
Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
SOUTH FLORIDA (American Airlines Arena, Miami, Friday, Nov. 27, 2015)
Kentucky will travel to Miami to participate in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Classic at the American Airlines Arena on Nov. 27. UK’s opponent will be South Florida under the direction of former assistant coach Orlando Antigua. It will mark the first meeting between the two schools, as well as the first meeting between Antigua and his mentor in Calipari. Antigua spent six seasons as an assistant under Calipari including the first five years at Kentucky and one more at Memphis.
Antigua led the Bulls to a 9-23 record in his debut season in South Beach. The Bulls have nine returning players off of that roster, including Chris Perry who was second in scoring a season ago at 10.8 points per game.
Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
ILLINOIS STATE (Rupp Arena, Monday, Nov. 30, 2015)
UK will meet its third first-time opponent of the season in Illinois State on Nov. 30 in Rupp Arena. The Redbirds earned a 22-13 record in 2014-15, advancing to the second round of the NIT after falling short in the championship game of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. The Redbirds upset No. 8 Wichita State during their MVC Tournament run, and ISU has beaten at least one top-25 team in each of its last four seasons.
The Redbirds are led by fourth-year head coach and former Illinois State star Dan Muller. In his first three seasons as head coach, Muller has upset three top-25 ranked teams and is the only coach in program history to achieve that feat. Senior guard DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell highlights the returners for Illinois State after ranking second on the team with 12.8 points per game in 2014-15.
Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
UCLA (Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles, Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015)
Kentucky and UCLA signed a two-year home-and-home series in December of 2014 set to begin on Dec. 3, 2015 in Pauley Pavilion on the campus of UCLA. It will mark the Wildcats first visit to UCLA’s storied facility. UCLA will return the trip on Dec. 3, 2016 in what will be the first matchup of the two bluebloods in Rupp Arena history.
The Wildcats own an all-time record of 7-4 against the Bruins, which includes an 83-44 win in 2014-15 at the United Center in Chicago. UK’s Tyler Ulis scored seven points and dished out six assists in that meeting. UCLA went 22-14 overall a season ago and advanced to the Sweet 16 in each of the two seasons under the direction of head coach Steve Alford. The Bruins will be led by junior guard Bryce Alford who averaged 15.4 points per game as a sophomore.
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