A huge matchup before the regular season tips off!
The Kentucky Wildcats men’s basketball team will host the Purdue Boilermakers in an exhibition game at Rupp Arena on October 24th, the school announced Friday.
A game time and television designation will be announced at a later date.
Newly adopted NCAA rules permitting Division I programs to play in the preseason enabled the teams to add this early-season marquee contest to their schedules. The game will not count towards official records or statistics.
The Boilermakers have advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 in three of the past four seasons, including a berth in the 2024 NCAA Championship, where they fell to UConn. They’re projected to be a top-five team next season in several preseason rankings thanks to the return of All-American guard Braden Smith, who may be the favorite for National Player of the Year.
Smith became just the second player in NCAA history (Ja Morant) to have at least 500 points, 300 assists, and 150 rebounds in a single season in 2024-25 and became the first Big Ten player to have 300 or more assists in a single year.
Head coach Matt Painter owns a career record of 496-220 and is in his 21st season as Purdue’s head coach. Under his watch, Purdue has advanced to eight Sweet 16s, the seventh most among active head coaches, while he has led the squad to 16 NCAA Tournament berths in the last 18 seasons.
This will be a great test for the Wildcats, as this could be a battle of preseason top-10 teams in Rupp Arena.