Kentucky’s nonconference slate will test Pope, Wildcats early

Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats will be truly battle-tested in the 2025-26 season, as their nonconference schedule is expected to rank among the most difficult in the country. High-profile matchups with Purdue (exhibition), St. John’s, Louisville, Michigan State, Indiana and Gonzaga are already on the slate.

As it stands, Kentucky is preparing to face arguably the nation’s toughest nonconference lineup—a challenge Pope appears to have welcomed. One question remains: Who might the Wildcats host in the SEC/ACC Challenge after traveling to Clemson last season?

Here are some potential Atlantic Coast Conference opponents who could visit Rupp Arena and add even more firepower—and excitement—to Kentucky’s already loaded schedule.

Duke or North Carolina

Off the top, Big Blue Nation would relish the chance to host either Duke or North Carolina. A true blue blood hasn’t visited Rupp Arena since Kansas earned a 77–68 win in January of 2023.

Last season, Pope shocked the college basketball world with a 77–72 victory over No. 3 Duke in the Champions Classic, delivering one of BBN’s most memorable nights in recent years. That game, however, took place at State Farm Arena in Atlanta; Catlanta if you will.

Incredibly, Duke has never played a regular-season game at Rupp Arena. The Blue Devils haven’t faced Kentucky in Lexington since their 55–54 win in the 1980 NCAA Tournament regional semifinals. Their last visit for a regular-season contest was in 1969 at Memorial Coliseum, where Kentucky won during the early-season Kentucky Invitational Tournament. The Wildcats lead the all-time series 13–11.

With Jon Scheyer’s squad again projected to be among the nation’s elite, a Duke-Kentucky clash at Rupp would be one of the most anticipated games in college basketball next season.

North Carolina, meanwhile, isn’t drawing as much preseason hype. Despite reportedly spending more than $14 million on its roster, the Tar Heels have built a lineup many analysts consider underwhelming. Head coach Hubert Davis is entering the season squarely on the hot seat.

Still, Carolina is Carolina. Even amid recent inconsistency, the Tar Heels remain one of the sport’s premier brands, and their presence in Lexington would electrify Rupp Arena. UNC hasn’t played at Rupp since Kentucky’s 73–72 win in December 2011, capped by Anthony Davis’ iconic late-game block. That Wildcats team went on to win the national title. Could history repeat itself?

NC State

The 2025–26 season is shaping up to be one of NC State’s most exciting in recent memory. Just two years removed from a Final Four run, the Wolfpack are reloading—not rebuilding—under new head coach Will Wade.

Wade, who made headlines declaring he wouldn’t be undergoing a rebuild, made an aggressive push in the transfer portal. Key additions include All-Big 12 honoree Darrion Williams, former Tar Heel Ven-Allen Lubin, Houston’s Terrance Arceneaux, Michigan State’s Tre Holloman and McNeese State’s Quadir Copeland.

“We’re going to have a damn good roster,” Wade told Inside Pack Sports last month.

NC State looks poised to challenge Duke and Louisville atop the ACC, and a trip to Rupp Arena would offer an early proving ground for a hungry fanbase and a fiery first-year head coach. Big Blue Nation would surely embrace the matchup.

Virginia

Throughout the 2010s, Virginia stood atop the ACC. Under Tony Bennett, the Cavaliers won six regular-season titles, two ACC tournament crowns and the 2019 NCAA championship—still the ACC’s most recent national title.

But the program has since hit a rough patch. With Bennett’s unexpected retirement just days before the 2024–25 season, UVA stumbled to a 15–17 finish under interim head coach Ron Sanchez.

Enter Ryan Odom.

Odom made history in 2018 when his UMBC team shocked the basketball world, defeating top-seeded Virginia 74–54—the first-ever win by a No. 16 seed over a No. 1 seed in NCAA Tournament history. Ironically, Odom grew up as a ball boy for the Cavaliers in the 1980s while his father, Dave Odom, was an assistant coach in Charlottesville.

Having coached at UMBC and VCU, Odom now returns to Virginia in a true full-circle moment. And in today’s transfer portal era, rapid turnarounds are possible. His roster is already considered above average in ACC circles, with hopes of returning to the NCAA Tournament in Year 1.

For Kentucky, that means the possibility of hosting a solid, well-coached team with a new leader who has deep ties to his program. Add in the fact that Virginia borders Kentucky, and the appeal to Big Blue Nation is clear.

Syracuse

Syracuse is coming off four consecutive seasons without an NCAA Tournament bid—the program’s longest drought in 50 years. Head coach Adrian Autry enters the 2025–26 season on arguably the hottest seat in college basketball.

Still, Syracuse remains a notable brand in the sport, and the Orange could be an intriguing draw for Rupp Arena. Their incoming recruiting class has potential, and the combination of desperation and tradition could result in fireworks.

Who knows? Maybe Carmelo Anthony shows up in the stands.

Kentucky’s 2025–26 Nonconference Schedule (As of June 9)

• Oct. 24: vs. Purdue | Rupp Arena (Exhibition)
• Nov. 18: vs. Michigan State | Champions Classic (New York)
• Dec. 5: vs. Gonzaga | Nashville
• Dec. 13: vs. Indiana | Rupp Arena
• Dec. 20: vs. St. John’s | CBS Sports Classic (Atlanta)
• Dec. 23: vs. Bellarmine | Rupp Arena
• TBD: at Louisville
• TBD: SEC/ACC Challenge | Rupp Arena
• TBD: vs. North Carolina Central | Rupp Arena

Brandon Garrison had his ups and downs during the 2024-25 season, at times making plays above his experience level on the court, and other times, causing unfortunate turnovers and making Big Blue Nation yell “pass the ball” when he attempted to show off his handles.

However, since the offseason has began, we’ve seen the backup big man from last year’s squad take major jumps in not only his skill set, but in his mentality and leadership as well.

“BG” announced that he was coming back to Kentucky on April 12 for the 2025-26 season, and since then, has been the talk of the town to be the starting center for Mark Pope’s second-year team.

Last season, Garrison played behind Amari Williams, coming off of the bench and averaging 5.9 points per game and 3.9 rebounds per game in just 17.3 minutes a night. 

Having played a year already in Pope’s system, Garrison may get a nod for the starting role over one of the transfer pickups, especially since Pope and the coaching staff have been publicly vocal about his development. With young players such as Jayden Quaintance and Malachi Moreno coming in behind Garrison, you can guarantee he will play a major role in their development.

In an offseason press conference, Pope said that Garrison has already taken on more of a mentorship role heading into next season.

“He’ll be the first to tell you that Amari Williams was a life-changing mentor for him,” Pope said. “He’s excited to help some other guys come along.”

Pope added on that Garrison went out of his way to have breakfast and talk to four of the incoming transfers, on their official visits, about Kentucky and the way the staff does things.

“Brandon Garrison showed me some signs in the last month, and certainly this summer, where he is just, like he is growing up, man,” Pope said in an interview with KSR on May 22. “It’s so cool to see, it’s the best thing to see as a coach. He’s talking about what he wants to be. It’s no longer kind of what he is and who he is and how he acts, but it’s what he wants to become.”

As the season inches closer, we’ll learn more about Garrison’s impact on the court and if he’ll be the day one starter, but regardless, off the court, you can bet he has some wisdom to pass down.

The NBA Finals tip off with familiar faces on both sides in the first-ever series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers.

For the first time since 2012, when the Thunder were led by Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City is in the NBA Finals. The franchise has the opportunity to earn its first title in Oklahoma City since the team’s rebrand and relocation in 2008.

As for the Pacers, it’s the franchise’s first NBA Finals appearance since 2000. Indiana is seeking its first championship in team history. 

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Oklahoma City’s superstar and crowning 2024-25 league MVP has continued his season-long dominance into the postseason. Averaging 31.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

Gilgeous-Alexander impressed as the Thunder beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 4-1, as he led all but one game of the series in scoring. 

After an underwhelming performance in Game 3, Gilgeous-Alexander responded with a near triple-double performance, posting 40 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds. Oklahoma City defeated the Timberwolves narrowly, 128-126.

The Thunder blew out Minnesota in Games 4 and 5 thanks to back-to-back massive performances by Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 34 and 40 points, respectively. Clinching his first bid to the NBA Finals. 

At midcourt after their Game 5 victory, OKC hoisted the Western Conference Trophy in front of their home crowd. Gilgeous-Alexander walked off with the Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson Trophy for his Western Conference Finals heroics.

Cason Wallace

Second-year pro Wallace is the Thunder’s ultimate plug-and-play contributor. Although Wallace isn’t a stat-stuffing machine like Gilgeous-Alexander, his defensive prowess stands out.

In five games, the Kentucky product averaged 25.8 minutes per game off the bench. Wallace was often assigned to guard Wolves superstar Anthony Edwards. 

The 6-foot-4 guard averaged five points, 3.6 assists, 2.4 rebounds, and nearly a block and steal per game. 

Known for his hustle, Wallace excels at imposing himself on defense despite commonly matching up with larger opponents. His ability to disrupt the Timberwolves’ offense created offensive opportunities, which coincided with his pass-first mentality on offense.

Wallace could be found stealing from 7-foot-1 Frenchman Rudy Gobert in the post and nailing 3-pointers on the other end.

In Game 5, Wallace scored only five points but had two rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Helping OKC seal a commanding 124-94 victory to punch their ticket to the NBA Finals.

Isaiah Jackson

The tallest former Wildcat out of the bunch, Jackson stands at 6-foot-9 as a physical off-the-bench presence for Indiana.

Unfortunately, the big man won’t be available to play in the NBA Finals. In the fifth game of the season, Jackson suffered a season-ending Achilles tear on Nov. 1 in a matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans. 

This season Jackson made six appearances for the Pacers, including a start against the Boston Celtics early in the season. Posting seven points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.

Despite the injury, the four-year Pacer would still receive a ring if Indiana wins for his short-lived contribution this season.

Game 1 of the NBA Finals tips-off on Thursday, June 5, at 8:30 p.m. ET.