Kentucky Basketball Reloads with Five Nonconference Matchups at Rupp Arena for 2025–26
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The excitement continues to build around Mark Pope’s second year as Kentucky’s head coach. On Friday, the Wildcats officially unveiled five nonconference home games for the 2025–26 season, including a long-awaited border battle against Indiana on December 13. All five contests will take place inside the legendary Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center, setting the tone for another high-stakes campaign in Lexington.
The slate begins with a matchup against Loyola University Maryland on November 21. That will be followed by a visit from Tennessee Tech on November 26, a team led by Kentucky Athletics Hall of Famer John Pelphrey. North Carolina Central arrives on December 9, the historic clash with Indiana headlines December 13, and in-state foe Bellarmine rounds out the early schedule with a game on December 23.
Kentucky last faced Loyola Maryland in the 2011–12 season, an 87–63 home win. The Cats hold a 5–0 all-time record over Tennessee Tech, most recently meeting during the 2007–08 season. North Carolina Central will be a new opponent entirely—this marks the first-ever meeting between the programs. Bellarmine and Kentucky last met in 2022–23, with UK winning 60–41 in Rupp Arena.
But the biggest buzz surrounds the return of Indiana to Lexington. The two programs last played in the 2016 NCAA Tournament, but haven’t squared off in the regular season since 2011–12. It’ll be Indiana’s first trip to Rupp since the 2010–11 campaign. Kentucky currently holds a 32–25 series edge over the Hoosiers.
This newly announced group of games joins an already compelling list of confirmed nonconference showdowns. Kentucky will face Purdue in a charity exhibition on October 24, host rival Louisville on November 11, take on Michigan State in the Champions Classic on November 18, battle Gonzaga in Nashville on December 5, and face St. John’s in the CBS Sports Classic on December 20.
The Wildcats return key contributors from last year’s Sweet 16 squad, including Collin Chandler, who shot 52.2% from deep over his final six games, big man Brandon Garrison, and sharpshooter Trent Noah, who had a breakout showing in a stunning upset of No. 5 Tennessee.
Kentucky also adds one of the top transfer classes in the country. Denzel Aberdeen (Florida), Mouhamed Dioubate (Alabama), Jaland Lowe (Pitt), Reece Potter (Miami-OH), Jayden Quaintance (Arizona State), and Kam Williams (Tulane) all bring production, versatility, and high-level experience to the Bluegrass.
Lowe, an All-ACC performer, averaged 16.8 points and 5.5 assists per game. Quaintance added 2.6 blocks per game as a finalist for National Defensive Player of the Year. Aberdeen, Dioubate, and Williams all bring scoring and rebounding prowess, while Potter adds elite shooting as a big man.
Incoming freshmen include Braydon Hawthorne, Andrija Jelavić, Jasper Johnson, and Malachi Moreno. Johnson and Moreno recently starred for Team USA in the Nike Hoop Summit. Moreno was also crowned Mr. Kentucky Basketball after leading Great Crossing to a state title and earning McDonald’s All-American honors. Jelavić is one of Europe’s top young forwards, and Hawthorne is a rising star who dominated at Huntington Prep.
As the full schedule nears completion and SEC matchups loom, fans are already circling the dates and dreaming big. If Mark Pope’s debut season reignited the passion, the 2025–26 slate is poised to fuel the fire even more.
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