The final touches have been made to Kentucky's 2018-19 men's basketball schedule.

The Southeastern Conference announced league matchups on Friday, bringing what was already an extremely challenging schedule into greater focus for the Wildcats as they pursue a ninth national championship.

Combined with the league schedule, UK will face 16 teams that played in the postseason in 2018, including 12 in the NCAA Tournament. The future opponents combined to go 526-356 (.596) last season.

Kentucky will play 18 games against SEC foes in the regular season, including one matchup with each of the other 13 teams in the league. The Cats will have home-and-home matchups with Auburn, Mississippi State, Florida, Tennessee and Vanderbilt.

UK’s schedule is balanced with no road trip or stretch of home games lasting more than two in a row (which includes the SEC/Big 12 Challenge). The Cats will also have a familiar weekly pattern of Tuesday-Saturday games every week once conference play starts on Jan. 5 at Alabama.

John Calipari's squad should be well-tested going into the league opener with consecutive non-conference games against Seton Hall, Utah, North Carolina and Louisville leading up to the matchup with the Crimson Tide.

The first league game at home will come against Texas A&M on Jan. 8.

A high-profile non-conference matchup against Kansas on Jan. 26 will lead into back to back road games at Vanderbilt and Florida, providing what appears to be one of the toughest stretches of the season.

The regular-season finale at Rupp Arena will be March 9 against Florida.

The SEC Tournament is slated to return to Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, beginning March 13 with a champion being crowned on March 17.

Complete television information and tip times will be announced at a later date.