Kentucky and UCLA announced on Monday that they will be playing a home-and-home series over the next two seasons.
On Dec. 3rd, 2015, the two programs will play at Pauley Pavilion. On Dec. 3rd, 2016, they will play at Rupp Arena. They will also be squaring off in Chicago later this month.
Terrific.
“We are excited to schedule this home-and-home series with Kentucky and add to what we already believe is a very competitive non-conference schedule next season,” UCLA coach Steve Alford said in a statement. "[Kentucky coach John Calipari) and I go back a long ways, and I have the utmost respect for him and what he has been able to build at Kentucky. This is a big win for fans of college basketball in Southern California who will now have the opportunity to watch two of the sport’s most storied programs meet in Pauley Pavilion.”
Two thoughts on this:
- I love that marquee non-conference matchups are starting to trend towards being played on one team’s home court. The best part about the three great games we had last week -- Duke-Wisconsin, Texas-Kentucky, Gonzaga-Arizona -- is that they were all played in the latter’s arena. The best thing about college basketball are the raucous environments on college campuses. Let’s get the best games played in them.
- Still no home-and-home series with Indiana?