Kentucky's latest uninspired schedule addition will have fans shrugging their shoulders

My immediate instinct was to go on the defense when Dick Vitale said Kentucky had a cupcake schedule earlier this offseason; with an addition still yet to be made at that point, the non-conference slate appeared to have a high competitive upside. One more juggernaut, I thought, and we'd be there.

And maybe we still get that juggernaut addition, but for the time being, Appalachian State and Little Rock will have to do, I suppose? Per KSR's Jack Pilgrim, App State has hopped onto the Cats' regular season schedule, while Little Rock, coached by former Wildcat Travis Ford, will be an exhibition.

The former game will Slot in on December 5, between Virginia and Bryant, while the latter is the very first game of the season, on October 16. I'm not here to say that Kentucky doesn't play anybody, but I wouldn't blame the Big Blue Nation for being a little disgruntled without another heavy-hitter being added.

Beyond the note on Ford, it's not like the Wildcats have any special history with either of these schools, either. Jodie Meeks dropped 46 points in a blowout Kentucky win the one time these two teams met prior, in December of 2008.

Last season, in the Sun Belt Conference, the Mountaineers went 19-13, finishing fourth in the league. Kentucky was rumored to add a Mountaineers team to their schedule at one point, but nobody expected it to go this route.

Facing the Other Mountaineers

West Virginia, of course, seemed like a much more compelling matchup. That's a middle of the road Big 12 team, sure, but being a few spots down in that league is much different than being a few spots down in the Sun Belt.

And Kentucky has a little background with WVU, too, both in the regular season and in the NCAA Tournament. That seemed like an exciting bow that would tie off Mark Pope's third-ever non-conference schedule.

Instead, I can't help but think that Kentucky fans may feel a little underwhelmed at the full picture. You've got Louisville, Kansas, Indiana, Virginia, and North Carolina, but with Gonzaga on the outs, the Wildcats' usual sixth big game prior to conference play remains missing. Nobody liked getting smacked by the Zags last season, but I don't believe anybody wanted to drop them entirely as a result, either.

I dont wan't to get ahead of myself, though. Maybe App State or another angry underdog will come to Rupp Arena and present a real challenge, or maybe the Cats have one more team hidden up their scheduling sleeve.

Kentucky has a few hills to climb already, but the better your competition is in December, the more opportunities you have to really bolster your resume before March.

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