Spring Break
Huskies slated to play Kentucky at MSG next year
Kevin Duffy
Issue date: 4/23/09 Section: Sports
UConn already has Michigan and Texas on its non-conference schedule for next season, and now it can add Kentucky to that list.
The Huskies and Wildcats will face off on Wednesday, Dec. 9 at Madison Square Garden in New York in one of four SEC/Big East Invitational games. UConn's match-up with Kentucky will be preceded by Georgia versus St. John's, and the Thursday games will feature DePaul versus Ole Miss and Syracuse against Florida. Times for the games will be announced at a later date.
"We are excited to be a part of this and to have the opportunity to play a program like Kentucky," said UConn coach Jim Calhoun. "We always try to schedule against the best and think this is a continuation of that tradition for us. In addition, it is always exciting for our team and our fans to play in Madison Square Garden, an arena that has been the site of so many successes for us over the years."
The Wildcats are coming off the first season in 18 years that they did not advance to the NCAA Tournament. After firing head coach Billy Gillespie, Kentucky quickly hired former Memphis head coach John Calipari to turn things back around. Calipari has already lured the top-ranked center in the class of 2009, DeMarcus Cousins, to Lexington. He has also received commitments from 6-foot-10 center Daniel Orton, the No. 4 center according to ESPN.com, and Jon Hood, the No. 19 small forward. The Wildcats are still in contention for point guard John Wall, the No. 1 overall player in the class. Their two leading scorers from last season, Jodie Meeks and Patrick Patterson, have both entered the NBA Draft, but neither has hired an agent, which enables them to withdraw their name and return to college prior to the draft.
The Huskies and Wildcats will face off on Wednesday, Dec. 9 at Madison Square Garden in New York in one of four SEC/Big East Invitational games. UConn's match-up with Kentucky will be preceded by Georgia versus St. John's, and the Thursday games will feature DePaul versus Ole Miss and Syracuse against Florida. Times for the games will be announced at a later date.
"We are excited to be a part of this and to have the opportunity to play a program like Kentucky," said UConn coach Jim Calhoun. "We always try to schedule against the best and think this is a continuation of that tradition for us. In addition, it is always exciting for our team and our fans to play in Madison Square Garden, an arena that has been the site of so many successes for us over the years."
The Wildcats are coming off the first season in 18 years that they did not advance to the NCAA Tournament. After firing head coach Billy Gillespie, Kentucky quickly hired former Memphis head coach John Calipari to turn things back around. Calipari has already lured the top-ranked center in the class of 2009, DeMarcus Cousins, to Lexington. He has also received commitments from 6-foot-10 center Daniel Orton, the No. 4 center according to ESPN.com, and Jon Hood, the No. 19 small forward. The Wildcats are still in contention for point guard John Wall, the No. 1 overall player in the class. Their two leading scorers from last season, Jodie Meeks and Patrick Patterson, have both entered the NBA Draft, but neither has hired an agent, which enables them to withdraw their name and return to college prior to the draft.
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