For Kentucky fans, it's never too early to start thinking about the next season. More often than not, if and when the season ends in March, you'll find members of the Big Blue Nation leveling predictions and expectations for the following year. Basketball never stops in Lexington, which is why I'm taking a way-too-early swing at Kentucky's non-conference slate this season.
Let's set a few ground rules first: Since the SEC slate has yet to be finalized, I'll just be hitting a record prediction for the portion of the Cats' schedule we've already seen go solid. Additionally, I can't dive into every matchup, so I'll only specifically detail the five heavy-hitting games in November and December.
Of course, those are Kansas, Indiana, Virginia, Louisville, and North Carolina. All of those have the potential to be ranked matchups and, barring a disaster, should be the only contests seriously threatening a loss for Mark Pope's team.
Looking Back at Last Year's Finish
In total, the Wildcats will play 13 non-conference games before SEC play takes over the latter half of the season. That 2025-26 Kentucky team went 9-4 in their own non-conference stretch, memorably dropping just about every big game besides Indiana at home.
Losses on the road against Louisville, and on a neutral floor in a blowout to Gonzaga, stood out as the most egregious of the bunch. With one truly quality win heading into conference competition, that's nearly worst-case scenario for a team of the blue and white stature.
Losing to an unranked Evansville squad at home was a little worse, I suppose, but the BBN would rather have neither if I had to venture a guess.
Predicting Kentucky's Non-Conference Record
When it comes to the debated gauntlet at hand, I believe (as best I can at this juncture) that Kentucky's final run will look something like this:
WINS: vs. Kansas, vs. Indiana, vs. Louisville
LOSSES: at Virginia, vs. North Carolina
Going 3-2 in these pivotal duels would position Kentucky to finish 11-2 in their non-conference stretch as a whole. Of course, an agreeable end like that one means a few things will have to go right for the Wildcats.
When it comes to the projected victories, all three come either at home or on a neutral court. The only potential exception would be Indiana who, will not technically home, will have the benefit of the game being played in Indianapolis. The Wildcats will face an uphill battle there, no doubt.
But I like the Cats odds in a revenge battle at home against the Cardinals and across from a Tyran Stokes-fueled Jayhawks team in the Champion's Classic. Though, in the same breath, a road date with a (likely) ranked Virginia squad and a game at Madison Square with a revamped North Carolina team both bode poorly, to me.
I'd like to be a little more positive and suggest that Kentucky escape this whole run with just one loss, but with Kam Williams missing time with a foot surgery and Kentucky's staff still actively trying to finalize the roster, I can't quite hit that optimistic peak just yet.
After all, that is the nature of venturing a guess this far out of the season. If that 11-2 mark ends up being correct, we should be in for a much more promising product all around from Mark Pope's third Kentucky team.
I want this group to be better as a fan, naturally, but I also just so happen to believe that they objectively have the pieces to surprise a lot of people. Please don't prove me wrong in the wrong way, Wildcats.
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