Kentucky releases 2023-24 nonconference basketball schedule

Kentucky has finally posted its official nonconference schedule for the 2023-24 basketball season. The team twitter accounted released the full and action-packed slate to the public, which notes dates and locations for each matchup.

Take a look:

Nov. 6: New Mexico State (home)
Nov. 10: Texas A&M Commerce (home) | Wildcat Challenge
Nov. 14: Kansas (Chicago, IL) | Champions Classic
Nov. 17: Stonehill (home) | Wildcat Challenge
Nov. 20: Saint Joseph’s (home) | Wildcat Challenge
Nov. 24: Marshall (home)
Nov. 28: Miami (FL) (home) | ACC/SEC Challenge
Dec. 2: UNC Wilmington (home)
Dec. 9: Penn (Philadelphia, PA)
Dec. 16: North Carolina (Atlanta) | CBS Sports Classic
Dec. 21: Louisville (away)
Dec. 29: Illinois State (home)
Feb. 10: Gonzaga (home)

After some complaints in recent years about an underwhelming out-of-conference schedule, especially at Rupp Arena, the Big Blue Nation has to be happy with this lineup. Excitement for the fanbase may mean added stress for John Calipari, who is looking at an absolute gauntlet of a schedule.

First off, the SEC is as strong as it’s ever been on the hardwood, while this nonconference slate features home blockbusters vs. Miami and then Gonzaga in the middle of conference play. Then the ‘Cats leave Lexington to play North Carolina and Kansas in annual multi-team events.

Kentucky also gets some real breaks, too. Louisville won just four games last season and make for an ideal first true road test, since beating them shouldn’t be much of one. New Mexico State kicks off the season and they haven’t played basketball since Feb. 8 since the team was disbanded over a nasty hazing scandal. There’s two pretty easy wins.

Additionally, the game against Illinois State is somewhat local (or at least regional), but the real reason ISU comes to town is Kentucky’s senior star, Antonio Reeves, who played three seasons with the Redbirds before transferring to Kentucky.

Lastly, there’s also Stonehill, a little-known hoops school out of Easton, MA that’s entering its second year at the Div. 1 level. The Skyhawks actually had a solid first year playing in the NEC, where they tied for second at 10-6 with Fairleigh Dickinson, who wound up beating Purdue as a 16-seed. Plus, coach Chris Kraus was named the lague’s Coach of the Year.

Overall, Kentucky is facing one of the premier schedules in the entire country, and it includes a slew of high-profile matchups outside of league play.