The first Associated Press poll of the college basketball season (or preseason to be precise) shows the Kentucky Wildcats will face a challenging schedule during the 2019-20 season.
The first game of the regular season is the most challenging of them all, at least on paper.
No. 1 Michigan State and No. 2 Kentucky tip off their seasons against one another in the Champions Classic, one of the sport's most prestigious annual events. You know it's a big game when Duke-Kansas, the other teams competing against one another in the event, will be kept out of the primetime slot.
According to KenPom's inaugural rankings and projections, Michigan State is the only team that Kentucky is an underdog against this season.
News that Joshua Langford will miss action until January should make the Spartans a bit more vulnerable in the short term (and maybe long-term) but No. 1 vs. No. 2 will still be one of the games of the college basketball season in terms of hype.
After Michigan State, the Wildcats' next nine games are against teams that are outside the preseason Top-25 AP poll.
The next matchup against a team that is currently ranked is December 21 when UK takes on No. 18 Ohio State. That's the second game UK will play in four days in Las Vegas, the first coming against Utah on December 18.
According to reports, Ohio State defeated Louisville in a recent scrimmage that was not open to the public.
Speaking of Louisville, that's Kentucky's third game against a preseason ranked team. Just seven days after the Wildcats take on the Buckeyes, they host Louisville (December 28) in its annual rivalry game with the Cardinals, who are ranked No. 5 going into Chris Mack's second year with the program.
Following the Louisville game UK takes on seven SEC foes and all are outside the initial poll.
January 25th brings one of the toughest games of the year - a trip to No. 13 Texas Tech to take on the defending national runners up. Texas Tech loses a lot, but the Red Raiders have a strong defensive identity that should carry over to a large degree. That game is UK's opportunity in the SEC-Big XII Challenge.
UK's first game against a ranked SEC team comes February 1st when the team travels to Auburn to take on the No. 24 Tigers, who also lose quite a bit from last year's Final Four team.
The finish to Kentucky's regular season SEC schedule is daunting. Over the last three weeks of the season Kentucky gets No. 22 LSU and No. 6 Florida on the road and both the Gators and Auburn in Rupp Arena.
In total, UK is set to face eight teams in the preseason AP Top-25.
In the others receiving votes category Kentucky takes on Tennessee (28th) twice, Missouri (34th), Mississippi State (35th), and Alabama (44th).
In summary, Kentucky plays the No. 1, 5, 6 (twice), 13, 22, 24 (twice) ranked teams.
Even allowing for unpredictability over a season, that should be plenty of opportunities for the Wildcats to build a strong tournament resume.
