Kentucky will face a tough non-conference basketball schedule this year, and ESPN has ranked the 10 best non-conference schedules.
7) KENTUCKY
Toughest: vs. Michigan State (Nov. 12 in Chicago), at North Carolina (Dec. 14), Louisville (Dec. 28)
Next-toughest: Baylor (Dec. 6 in Arlington, Texas), vs. Providence (Dec. 1 in Brooklyn), Boise State (Dec. 10)
The rest: UNC Asheville (Nov. 8), Northern Kentucky (Nov. 10), Robert Morris (Nov. 17), Texas-Arlington (Nov. 19), Cleveland State (Nov. 25), Eastern Michigan (Nov. 27), Belmont (Dec. 21)John Calipari’s skill at assembling and unleashing brilliant young ensembles will meet its toughest test this season, as his certifiably insane freshman class — which, by way of reminder, boasts five of the top nine, and six of the top 25, players in the 2013 class — will have exactly two tuneups (UNC Asheville and Northern Kentucky) before facing Tom Izzo’s vastly more experienced national title contender at the Champions Classic on Nov. 12. The Wildcats also have to travel to UNC, and to Jerryworld for Calipari’s much-touted “event” versus Baylor. But by far the biggest game on UK’s schedule — and the biggest game of the season, period — against hated rival and defending national champion Louisville, comes in the comfy old confines of Rupp Arena.
Read The 10 best nonconference schedules by clicking here.
