Kaleb
Wesson
Cassius
Winston
Jordan
The Cats start the season
Nwora
in New York facing the
Michigan State Spartans, led by Big Ten
“Player of the Year” Cassius Winston (left) on Nov. 5.
The Cats travel to Las Vegas to take on Ohio State,
led by Kaleb Wesson (above) on Dec. 21 in the CBS Sports Classic.
The rivalry game with Louisville takes place on Dec. 28 with Jordan Nwora (right) and the Cardinals coming to Rupp.
not St. Mary’s in northern California who defeated then
No. 1 Gonzaga last season), Lamar and the University of
Alabama at Birmingham, all part of the BBN Showcase.
Kentucky will begin the December docket with its an-
other contest against a Northeast Conference team. Fair-
leigh Dickinson brings back three double-digit scorers
in Kaleb Bishop, Jahlil Jenkins and Xzavier Malone-Key
Georgia Tech will arrive in Lexington for a Dec. 14
contest. It will be the 72nd meeting all-time between
the two schools but the fi rst meeting since 2000. Fourth-
year coach Josh Pastner is looking for more scoring
from his experienced team. The Yellow Jackets fi nished
315th nationally and last in the ACC in points per game.
Jose Alvarado is the leading returning scorer with 12.5
points per contest.
The Wildcats travels to Las Vegas for their next two
games. A Dec. 18 matchup with Utah and a date with
Ohio State three days later in the CBS Sports Classic at
T-Mobile Arena.
Kentucky defeated the Utes, 88-61, last year in Rupp
Arena and will face a much different roster this time
around on the west coast. Utah features eight freshmen
and three sophomores on its squad after seven
players transferred from the program since the start
of last season.
The Buckeyes were 20-game winners in 2018-19 and
have reached the NCAA Tournament the last two
season under the direction of coach Chris Holtmann.
The Wildcats and Ohio State have met once before
the CBS showcase, a 74-67 Buckeye win in 2015. Kaleb
Wesson is the leading returning scorer and rebounder
in Columbus.
A riveting rival game ends the 2019 slate for Kentucky
when Louisville arrives at Rupp Arena on Dec. 28. The
win total has slowly decreased since 2015 amid several
scandals surrounding the program but the Cardinals
look to rise again under second-year coach Chris Mack
and battle Duke and North Carolina in the ACC. Junior
Jordan Nwora and senior Dwayne Sutton will provide
leadership in the frontcourt.
The opponent will change this year in the Big 12/
SEC Challenge but the talent level and rigorous test
for the Wildcats will not. Kentucky will travel to Lub-
bock, Texas, midway through the SEC slate, to play
a defensive-minded Texas Tech team on Jan. 25. The
Raiders, along with Kansas State, won a share of the Big
12 title last year and were seconds away from a national
championship last season. Most of their starting lineup
has moved on, but plenty of playmakers return. Davide
Moretti averaged 11.5 points a game a season ago.
It looks like another peach of a schedule that will have
Kentucky ready to pursue a trip to Georgia in April.
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