KWC Men’s Hoops to play UK in October

HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) – Kentucky Wesleyan college (KWC) is set to play the University of Kentucky (UK) on October 23 in an exhibition matchup.

According to UK, the Kentucky men’s basketball team announced a pair of exhibition contests for its 2024-25 campaign on Friday. UK will take on Kentucky Wesleyan on October 23 and Minnesota State Mankato on October 29 inside of Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Game times and television designations will be announced at a later date.

UK says earlier this week, Kentucky announced the return of “Big Blue Madness” to Rupp Arena which is slated for October 11. Additionally, the Blue-White Preseason Experience featuring intrasquad scrimmages with both the men’s and women’s programs and more was announced for October 18 inside of Historic Memorial Coliseum. Additional details will be unveiled about both events at a later time.

Officials with UK say Kentucky is 152-12 all-time in exhibition games and has won 31 straight. UK’s game vs. Kentucky Wesleyan will mark the first competition against an opponent in the Mark Pope era. This season’s contest against Kentucky Wesleyan will mark the third time in history the teams have met in an exhibition game. The squads met previously in preseason games in 2004 and in 2019. The teams also played 11 times in regular-season competition from 1910-1939. The Panthers earned a 21-9 overall record and a 15-5 mark in league play a season ago.

Officials say Pope and his staff have put together a “dynamic” roster for the 2024-25 season that features a mix of six fifth-year players, one senior, one junior, one sophomore and three freshmen. UK’s veterans have combined to play in 845 collegiate games and have scored nearly 8,000 career points. Ansley Almonor, Lamont Butler, Andrew Carr and Amari Williams are all 1,000-point scorers. The group has also drained 1,033 career 3-pointers at a 37.0% rate.

UK Athletics say Butler and Williams were named their league’s defensive player of the year, while Koby Brea and Jaxson Robinson have been tabbed a conference’s sixth man of the year in their career and Almonor was a most improved selection. Brandon Garrison is a former McDonald’s All-American. Kerr Kriisa has played in 99 career games and has made 238 3-pointers, while Otega Oweh has seen action in 60 games and was Oklahoma’s second-leading scorer a season ago.

According to UK Athletics, Kentucky’s freshman group includes Travis Perry and Trent Noah from the state of Kentucky and Collin Chandler, a former top-35 signee in the class of 2022. Perry is the state’s all-time leading scorer, while Noah broke the Sweet 16 state record for most 3-pointers drained in a single run with 19 this season.

Officials note season ticket renewals for the 2024-25 Kentucky men’s basketball season are now available to all season ticket holders. The renewal deadline is August 29. Those interested in season tickets are encouraged to enter the season-ticket lottery . Due to the “extremely high” renewal rate of men’s basketball season tickets, only a limited number of upper-level tickets are available each year through the lottery.

UK Athletics say a limited number of new lower-level season tickets are available with a capital pledge commitment, as are memberships in Rupp Arena’s newest hospitality space, the Champions Club. For more information on premium options, please contact the K Fund Office at (859) 257-6300.

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