Kentucky gets Clemson in SEC/ACC Challenge

Not the matchup most Kentucky fans would envision as a thriller, but the Wildcats will go to Clemson for the second installment of the SEC/ACC Challenge on Dec. 3 at Littlejohn Coliseum the leagues have announced. A TV designation and tip time will be announced at a later date.

UK is 12-4 against Clemson, but the two teams have not met since Nov. 29, 1997. The Wildcats claimed a 76-61 win over Clemson as part of the Premier Classic in Phoenix during their 1998 national championship season.

With the 2024-25 matchup set, Kentucky will renew a series that was prominent during its early stages as a program. UK has played at Clemson four times, leading the series 3-1, but has not traveled to South Carolina since the 1933-34 season.

Last year the Wildcats knocked off No. 8 Miami inside of Rupp Arena by a 95-73 score in the opening year of the challenge. The Atlantic Coast Conference and the Southeastern Conference tied with both leagues winning seven matchups in the 14-game event. With both conferences expanding in 2024-25, the event will increase to 16 games.

Kentucky head coach Mark Pope’s inaugural schedule continues to take shape with the announcement of the road date at Clemson. In May, the SEC unveiled home and away designations for its 18-game slate.

The Wildcats will also continue their appearance in the Champions Classic on Nov. 12 with a matchup against Duke in Atlanta at State Farm Arena. A tip time will be released at a later date.

Pope and his staff have put together a dynamic roster for the 2024-25 season that features a mix of six fifth-year players, one senior, one junior, one sophomore and three freshmen.

UK’s veterans have combined to play in 845 collegiate games and have scored nearly 8,000 career points. Ansley Almonor, Lamont Butler, Andrew Carr and Amari Williams are all 1,000-point scorers. The group has also hit 1,033 career 3-pointers at a 37% rate.

Butler and Williams were named their league’s defensive player of the year, while Koby Brea and Jaxson Robinson have been tabbed a conference’s sixth man of the year in their career and Almonor was a most improved selection. Brandon Garrison is a former McDonald’s All-American. Kerr Kriisa has played in 99 career games and has made 238 3-pointers, while Otega Oweh has seen action in 60 games and was Oklahoma’s second-leading scorer a season ago.

Kentucky’s freshmen group includes Travis Perry and Trent Noah from the state of Kentucky and Collin Chandler, a former top-35 signee in the class of 2022.

Perry is the state’s all-time leading scorer and Mr. Basketball. Noah broke the Sweet 16 state record for most 3-pointers made in a single tournament with 19 this season.