Kentucky and Bellarmine finalizing deal to play this week, per reports

MrsTylerKSR

kentucky-bellarmine-finalizing-deal-to-play-this-week — (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Kentucky will not play Louisville this week, but they could play another team from Louisville. Pat Forde is reporting that Kentucky is close to finalizing a deal to play Bellarmine this week at Rupp Arena. The Knights play Loyola Marymount on Tuesday, but could turn around and travel to Lexington for a Wednesday or Thursday night matchup.

Sources: Bellarmine and Kentucky are close to finalizing a deal to have the Knights step in for Louisville and play the Wildcats in Rupp Arena this week. Could be a two-year deal. Would be a big opportunity for Scotty Davenport's program.
— Pat Forde (@ByPatForde) December 20, 2021

Dave Baker is hearing the same:

Well places source telling me that Bellarmine will replace UK on Cats schedule Wednesday night. @BUKnightsMBB offered to play UK last year during scheduling craziness
— Dave Buzz Baker (@buzzbaker) December 20, 2021

The Knights are 6-7 this season, with losses to a bevy of impressive Power 5 opponents:

DATE	OPPONENT	RESULT	W-L (CONF)
Tue, Nov 9	@ 7 Purdue	L 96-67	0-1 (0-0)
Sat, Nov 13	@ Murray State	L 78-59	0-2 (0-0)
Wed, Nov 17	@ Saint Mary’s	L 73-64	0-3 (0-0)
Fri, Nov 19	@ 1 Gonzaga	L 92-50	0-4 (0-0)
Mon, Nov 22	vs 2 UCLA *	L 75-62	0-5 (0-0)
Tue, Nov 23	vs. Central Michigan *	W 76-69	1-5 (0-0)
Sun, Nov 28	vs. Franklin	W 75-37	2-5 (0-0)
Tue, Nov 30	@ West Virginia	L 74-55	2-6 (0-0)
Sun, Dec 5	vs. Defiance	W 92-43	3-6 (0-0)
Thu, Dec 9	vs. Asbury College	W 87-55	4-6 (0-0)
Fri, Dec 10	vs. Midway	W 89-39	5-6 (0-0)
Wed, Dec 15	@ South Dakota	L 78-64	5-7 (0-0)
Sat, Dec 18	@ Miami (OH)	W 77-68	6-7 (0-0)

* Neutral site (Good Sam Empire Classic)

Bringing Scotty Davenport and the Knights to Rupp would be fun, but this game would not help Kentucky’s resume. Bellarmine is No. 229 in the NET Rankings, putting this game in Quad 4. Regardless, given the chaotic situation in college hoops right now maybe you take what you can get.

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UPDATE: NOT SO FAST! Kyle Tucker is reporting that the Bellarmine deal may not be as final as Forde and Baker said.

From what I gather, we might need to pump the brakes on the Bellarmine thing. I believe Kentucky would exhaust options for a name opponent before scheduling that one.
— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_ATH) December 20, 2021

Our own Jack Pilgrim reached out to Davenport about the game and received a bunch of question marks in return, so…