For UK basketball fans, this is one of many "high holy days" as the 'Cats have released their 2016-2017 non-conference schedule.

After a few exhibitions, the season will tip off November 11th in Rupp Arena against the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks, a program that's been to the past three NCAA Tournaments, winning a first-round game in 2014 and 2016. They're also coming off a combined 89 wins in those three seasons.

That match-up will be the first of three in five days for UK as it hosts Canisius on November 13th followed by a huge tilt with Michigan State on November 15th at the Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York.

The 'Cats will be at home November 20th through the 25th for games against Duquesne, Cleveland State, and Tennessee-Martin.

Then they'll head to the Bahamas to take on Arizona State on November 28th.

On December 3rd, for the first time EVER (hard to believe), UCLA will visit Rupp Arena. Seriously, these two legendary programs have never met in Lexington.

On December 7th, Kentucky will host perennial mid-major powerhouse and last year's NIT runner-up, Valparaiso.

A December 11th match-up against Hofstra in Brooklyn will be followed by a huge blue-blood battle with North Carolina at the CBS Sports Classic in Las Vegas on December 17th.

Kentucky's annual rivalry game against Louisville will happen December 21st at the KFC Yum! Center in UK's only true road game of the non-conference slate.

And on January 28th, the 'Cats will break from conference play to host Kansas in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.

It'll be the first trip to Rupp Arena for the Jayhawks in more than a decade.

There you have it. A challenging non-conference schedule against some of the biggest names in college basketball.

Can't wait.

 

 

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