Mark Pope is excited for Kentucky fans to experience exhibition game against Purdue

Kentucky is going to be involved in a marquee matchup, but this time, it's a preseason exhibition. It's not everyday you get to see your team take on the expected-to-be preseason #1 team, but that's exactly what the Big Blue Nation is going to get inside Rupp Arena.

It was announced two weeks ago that the Wildcats will be taking on Purdue in Rupp Arena on Oct. 24, which will be part of their preseason exhibition schedule. Thanks to a new NCAA rule that permits Division l programs to play each other in the preseason, Kentucky is taking advantage of it, bringing the best competition possible inside Rupp Arena. Mark Pope seemed really excited for the matchup when he spoke with media on Tuesday, but he's mostly excited for Big Blue Nation to experience the marquee feeling in late October.

"I love playing great teams all the time, I love it. I think it's really important. Anytime there's any chance we can get great teams to come into Rupp (Arena), we're gonna take it. If it's in the exhibition season, or the preseason, or the conference season, we'll take it. I'm just excited for BBN. We get to walk in here in late October and play the number one team in the country. I'm really excited about that. So I'm excited about that for our fanbase. We're working on another exhibition game that I think is gonna be terrific. ...When you play against great teams, it teaches you so much about yourself. The chance to do that in an exhibition where the cost might not be so high and get to do it really early in the season, where it's not just the data you receive after the game and during the game, but it's all of the energy and juice that it adds to the locker room every day during the summer and during the fall. Like, ...'Guys this is coming way faster than you might think.' I think those are all real bonuses."Pope on exhibition against Purdue.

Pope scheduled the marquee preseason game knowing how much it can help his squad prepare for the start of the season and when the bulk of the non-conference schedule begins, with games against teams like St. John's, Michigan State, Gonzaga, Indiana and Louisville. All of that before conference play begins is going to give Kentucky a number of high quality tests.

Kentucky fans are going to get to see their team up against the best team in the country before the season even starts. There aren't many negatives, if any, to giving your squad a big test to prepare for the season.