It won’t be long until we get the complete 2026-27 Kentucky Basketball schedule. Until then, we’ll be getting announcements and reports about who the Cats are slated to face next season.
According to KSR’s Matt Jones, Kentucky is working to set up a matchup with the West Virginia Mountaineers on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. The game would take place in Nashville, though negotiations are still ongoing, and a deal has not been finalized.
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Jones added that Kentucky was looking to potentially play Illinois in what would have been a massive non-conference matchup, but that ultimately fell through. The Fighting Illini are ranked No. 3 overall in the Jon Rothstein Preseason 45 ranking, which also has Kentucky at No. 16 and West Virginia unranked.
The Mountaineers are coming off a 21-14 debut season for head coach Ross Hodge, who was hired from North Texas to replace Darian DeVries following his one-year stint in Morgantown before heading to Indiana.
Despite missing the NCAA Tournament, West Virginia ended the year on a high note after winning the College Basketball Crown tournament, defeating Oklahoma 89-82 in overtime of the championship game.
CBS Sports’ Big 12 preseason tiers have West Virginia picked to finish fifth in the league and included in the ‘Tournament Team’ tier. They’re also ahead of teams like BYU, Baylor, and Texas Tech.
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Butler transfer Finley Bizjack was one of the top shooting guards in the transfer portal before choosing the Mountaineers, while incoming freshman point guard Miles Sadler, ranked as high as No. 16 overall by ESPN in the class of 2026, is another key name to watch.
“Speed. That’s the first thing you notice about this new-look West Virginia roster. Butler transfer Finley Bizjack and top-20 freshman Miles Sadler can both hit the gas and leave defenders in the dust,” wrote CBS’ Isaac Trotter. “Sadler has the opportunity and the talent to be a real Big 12 Freshman of the Year contender, and West Virginia is primed to give him the ball and let him shred from Day One.”
“There’s room for this offense to be a tough cover with Sadler and Bizjack playing on the ball, Joson Sanon adding shot-making, big man Mo Sylla operating as a lob threat and FSU transfer Martin Somerville checking in off the bench to bring instant offense and plenty of triples. Sylla also has terrific defensive tools and could be a match made in heaven under outstanding defensive coach, Ross Hodge. West Virginia’s defense won’t allow much at the rim with the no-middle gameplan and Sylla looming on the back line as a shot-blocker.”
The Mountaineers may not be a preseason top-25 team, but this would still be a challenging non-conference test for the Wildcats on a neutral court.
