Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope walks onto the court Thursday, March 27, 2025, during practice ahead of the Sweet 16 March Madness tournament game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Three must-win games on Kentucky basketball's non-conference schedule

Originally posted on Kentucky Wildcats on SI
By Andrew Stefaniak | Last updated Oct 2, 2025 12:00 PM ET

After a long offseason, college basketball is almost back, and fans in Lexington, Kentucky, can't wait. Mark Pope has a team that looks good enough to win a National Title, so this is the most excitement Big Blue Nation has had about a season in a long time.

Kentucky has a very tough non-conference schedule this season, and most of these games they will be playing without star center Jayden Quaintance while he rehabs from his ACL tear. Quaintance is a projected top five pick, so if he is missing a lot of these games, it will hurt Pope's team.

Kentucky will want to be a three-seed or better in the NCAA Tournament, and for that to happen, they will have to win some of these marquee ball games in non-conference play.

Let's take a look at three must-win games in non-conference play for the Kentucky Wildcats.

Three must-win non-conference games for Kentucky

Louisville

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Obviously, Kentucky's game against Louisville is important every season, as this is one of the best rivalries in college basketball. Pat Kelsey has revived the Louisville program and, at the same time, revived the Kentucky/Louisville rivalry from the dead. This game is going to be played on November 11th, so Quaintance will not be on the floor. Kentucky will need a big game from Brandon Garrison to beat Louisville in the KFC Yum Center. Kentucky does not want the bragging rights in this rivalry to head back to Louisville despite the Cardinals having an excellent team.

Gonzaga

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The Wildcats will face off with Gonzaga in Nashville, Tennessee, looking to take down the Bulldogs once again. Graham Ike is back for Gonzaga, and Quaintance likely won't play in this game, so slowing the Bulldogs' star center will be tough. On the good side for Kentucky, this should have a home game feel as Lexington natives will make the three-hour trip down to Nashville in droves.

North Carolina

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One of the only marquee games in Rupp Arena in non-conference play is the Wildcats' matchup with North Carolina. This game is a part of the SEC/ACC Challenge, so the Wildcats will want to win for their conference. The Tar Heels are going to be solid, but the Wildcats need to win this game at home for seeding purposes. This will also be a way for the players to get some revenge on Caleb Wilson for choosing UNC over Kentucky a few months ago.

This article first appeared on Kentucky Wildcats on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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