Kentucky to play Asbury and Calipari’s alma mater in exhibitions

The University of Kentucky men’s basketball team will take on Asbury University of Wilmore in one of its exhibition games before the 2016-17 season, UK announced on Wednesday.

The game on Nov. 6 in Rupp Arena, the first of Kentucky’s two exhibitions, marks the first-ever meeting between UK and Asbury, a Christian liberal arts institution of about 1,800 students.

Kentucky’s exhibition opener, on Oct. 30 in Rupp, will be against Clarion University of Pennsylvania, the alma mater of UK head coach John Calipari. Kentucky and Clarion have met one time previously, in an exhibition at the start of Calipari’s first season at UK in 2009-10. Kentucky won 117-52 behind 27 points and nine assists from John Wall in his first game as a Wildcat.

UK also announced the dates for two other annual preseason events on Wednesday. Big Blue Madness will be held Oct. 14 in Rupp Arena. The following Friday, Oct. 21, the Wildcats will conduct their Blue-White Scrimmage.

All four events will begin at 7 p.m. and be televised live on the SEC Network.

Ticket information, along with the 2016-17 regular-season non-conference slate and the 2017 Southeastern Conference schedule will be announced later this summer. Information regarding the campout for Big Blue Madness will also be released at a later time.

This story was originally published May 11, 2016 at 10:55 AM with the headline "Kentucky to play Asbury and Calipari’s alma mater in exhibitions."