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Kentucky Draws Kansas for Big 12/SEC Challenge

Kentucky travels to Kansas on Jan. 29 as a part of the annual Big 12/SEC Challenge in 2021-22.

Collegiate basketball's two all-time winningest programs will meet for the seventh time in eight seasons when travels to Kansas on Jan. 29 as a part of the annual /SEC Challenge in 2021-22. The full slate of games was announced Wednesday by the respective leagues.

It will mark the 33rd all-time meeting between the two schools and the ninth during the era. The Wildcats own a 23-10 all-time record against the Jayhawks, but Kansas has won four of the last five meetings, including a 65-62 win in the Champions Classic last season. Kentucky last visited Allen Fieldhouse in 2016. The Jayhawks prevailed 90-84 in overtime.

The 2022 slate of Big 12/SEC Challenge games will mark the ninth season of the annual event between the Southeastern Conference and the Big 12 and the seventh straight in which all 10 games of the challenge will be played on the same day.

Ten of the SEC's 14 teams will participate in the 2022 challenge against all 10 of the Big 12's institutions, with each conference hosting five games apiece. The four SEC teams not participating will play each other in conference games the same day.

All 10 games will be air across ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU and will be available on the ESPN app. ESPN's College GameDay– the Saturday roadshow that discusses the top storylines of the college basketball season – will originate from one of the Challenge games.

In addition to game times, network designations will be announced at a later date for the challenge.

The Big 12/SEC Challenge has been balanced over the last five seasons. The leagues split the games in 2017, the SEC won it 6-4 in 2018 and the Big 12 edged the SEC 6-4 in 2019. The leagues tied 5-5 in 2020 and the SEC earned a 5-4 win in 2021.

is 4-3 all-time in the challenge but missed last season's matchup slated to be against Texas inside of Rupp Arena due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kansas was 21-9 in 2020-21 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament's second round before falling to Southern Cal. The Jayhawks are projected to be one of the best teams in the country once again paced by the return of David McCormack who was the team's second-leading scorer at 13.4 points per game.

In addition to Kansas, UK has already announced nonconference matchups vs. Duke on Nov. 9 in the Champions Classic in New York, a road game at Michigan on Dec. 4, a neutral-site meeting against Notre Dame on Dec. 11 and a matchup with North Carolina in the Sports Classic on Dec. 18.

Additional nonconference matchups and the full slate of SEC games will be announced at a later date.

Kentucky will meet what is expected to be another demanding test head on with what looks to be a solid blend of talent and experience.

The Wildcats welcome back junior forwards Keion Brooks Jr. (10.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game in 2020-21) and Jacob Toppin (5.2 points and 3.5 rebounds per game), sophomore guard (31 3-pointers and 5.4 points per game), and sophomore forward Lance Ware (2.0 points, 3.0 rebounds in 2018-19). Kentucky could also return its leading scorer in who averaged 11.5 points per game and sank 56 3-pointers. He has until July 7 to remove his name from NBA Draft consideration and return to school.

UK will also gain additional experience with four transfers in forward and guards , Kellan Grady and Sahvir Wheeler. Combined the four have appeared in 266 collegiate games. Tshiebwe spent the spring semester with the Wildcats and is a former All-Big 12 performer from West Virginia who has 12 career double-doubles. Fredrick, from Iowa, is an All-Big 10 performer who owns a career 46.6% percentage from long range. Grady is a four-time All-Atlantic 10 player who suited up for Davidson and has more than 2,000 career points and a career average of 17.4 points per game. Wheeler is an All-SEC player who led the league in assists per game (7.4) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.7) at Georgia as a sophomore.

The Wildcats will add three consensus four- or five-star prospects in Daimion Collins, Bryce Hopkins and . Collins is ranked as high as the No. 10 overall player in the class and averaged 35.2 points, 14.4 rebounds. 7.0 assists and 6.2 blocks per game and was named the Texas Gatorade Player of the Year. Hopkins averaged 24.4 points, 12.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.5 blocks per game as a senior and is a top-25 prospect. He was the MaxPreps Illinois High School Player of the Year. Washington averaged 24.0 points, 7.0 assists and 6.0 rebounds per game this past season to lead Compass Prep to a 30-2 record. He connected on 48% of his shots and 41% from 3-point range and is ranked as high as the No. 12 overall player in the class.

 

Opponent2020-21 RecordPostseasonFinal NET RankingFinal Ranking (AP/Coaches)KenPom.com Final RankingSeries HistoryLast Meeting
Duke13-1149-/-36UK leads 12-10Duke won 118-84 on Nov. 6, 2018
Michigan23-5Elite Eight34/43UK leads 5-2UK won 75-72 on March 30, 2014
Notre Dame11-1598-/-85UK leads 43-20ND won 64-63 on Dec. 12, 2020
North Carolina18-11NCAA First Round39-/-34UNC leads 25-16UNC won 75-63 on Dec. 19, 2020
Kansas21-9NCAA Second Round1712/1627UK leads 23-10KU won 65-62 on Dec. 1, 2020

On This Day In UK Basketball History

On March 18, 1966, Louie Dampier joined the 1,000-point club.  He did it in 53 games.

 

On March 18, 1966, Kentucky, the No. 1 team in the nation, faced off against No. 2 Duke in the 1966 NCAA Final Four.   Louie Dampier (23 points) and Pat Riley (19) led the top-ranked Cats past No. 2 Duke in front of 14,253 at the Cole Field House in College Park, Md.

 

On March 18, 1972, Adolph Rupp coaches his last game at UK, a 73-54 loss to Florida State for the Mideast Region title in the NCAA Tournament.

 

On March 18, 1978, in the 1978 NCAA Tournament round of eight, sophomore point guard Kyle Macy scored nine points in the final 6:16 to rally the Wildcats past Michigan State and freshman star Earvin “Magic” Johnson before 13,485 at the University of Dayton Arena.

 

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