UK Hoops 2008-2009 Schedule
Sports - Sports News Headlines
Written by ukathletics.com   
Wednesday, 20 August 2008 00:22
Seventeen opponents who participated in postseason play last year, including two match-ups against the defending NCAA champion, 16 home games all in Memorial Coliseum, and a Thanksgiving trip to New York City highlight the 2008-09 Kentucky women’s basketball schedule, UK Coach Matthew Mitchell announced Tuesday.

The Wildcats are looking to improve on their 17-16 overall mark and fourth-place finish in the Southeastern Conference last season. UK went 8-6 in the SEC, just one win shy of the school record, and advanced to a school-record fourth consecutive postseason tournament, earning an appearance in the quarterfinals of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT).

“We are excited about another season of Kentucky women’s basketball,” Mitchell said. “We’ve put together a challenging schedule and one that will allow us to play quality competition and prepare for our tough Southeastern Conference slate.”

Seventeen opponents on UK’s 2008-09 schedule participated in the postseason last year, including five conference champions and four runner-ups. Twelve squads advanced to the NCAA Tournament and five appeared in the WNIT. UK also will meet four first-time opponents in Furman, Alabama A&M, UC Santa Barbara and Yale.

The Cats have 16 regular-season home games and unlike the past six seasons where four to five games were played in Rupp Arena, all games will be held in Memorial Coliseum this year.

“We want to try and establish a true home-court advantage and Memorial Coliseum is our true home,” Mitchell said. “The Coliseum is a first-class facility that has been upgraded over the past two years with a new floor, new scoreboard, video board and sound system. We know our fans also love Memorial as they have turned out in record numbers to support us. Memorial gets very loud and it’s an awesome atmosphere for our student-athletes.”

 

Nov. 5 (Wed)           Kentucky State [Exh.]                                                                LEXINGTON     
Nov. 9 (Sun)   Bellarmine [Exh.]                                                                         LEXINGTON                                  
Nov. 15 (Sat)           MICHIGAN                                                                                  LEXINGTON                                 

Nov. 17 (Mon)         CINCINNATI                                                                               LEXINGTON                                 
Nov. 23 (Sun)         GEORGE WASHINGTON                                                         LEXINGTON                                

Nov. 28-29              at Long Island Turkey Classic                                                Brooklyn, N.Y.                                

                                  (New Hampshire, Yale, Long Island)                                                                                                                           

Dec. 2 (Tues)         at Xavier                                                                                      Cincinnati, Ohio                            

Dec. 4 (Thurs)        at Western Kentucky                                                                 Bowling Green, Ky.                        TBA

Dec. 6 (Sat)             FURMAN                                                                                     LEXINGTON                                 

Dec. 12 (Fri)            EAST TENNESSEE STATE                                                     LEXINGTON                                 

Dec. 14 (Sun)         at Louisville                                                                                Louisville, Ky.                                

Dec. 19 (Fri)            ALABAMA A&M                                                                           LEXINGTON                                  
Dec. 21 (Sun)         UC SANTA BARBARA                                                               LEXINGTON                                  
Dec. 30 (Tues)       IUPUI                                                                                           LEXINGTON                                 
Jan. 1 (Thurs)         NC A&T                                                                                       LEXINGTON                                  

Jan. 3 (Sat)             at Miami (Ohio)                                                                          Oxford, Ohio                                 

Jan. 8 (Thurs)         at Tennessee                                                                            Knoxville, Tenn.                             
Jan. 11 (Sun)          ARKANSAS                                                                                LEXINGTON                                

Jan. 15 (Thurs)      at Alabama                                                                                 Tuscaloosa, Ala.                           

Jan. 18 (Sun)          MISSISSIPPI STATE                                                                 LEXINGTON                                  

Jan. 25 (Sun)          LSU                                                                                             LEXINGTON                                
Jan. 29 (Thurs)      at Florida                                                                                    Gainesville, Fla.                          
Feb. 1 (Sun)            at Ole Miss                                                                                Oxford, Miss.                                  
Feb. 5 (Thurs)        SOUTH CAROLINA                                                                  LEXINGTON                                 

Feb. 8 (Sun)            VANDERBILT                                                                            LEXINGTON                                  
Feb. 12 (Thurs)      at Auburn                                                                                    Auburn, Ala.                                  
Feb. 19 (Thurs)      TENNESSEE                                                                             LEXINGTON                                 

Feb. 22 (Sun)         at LSU                                                                                         Baton Rouge, La.                         
Feb. 26 (Thurs)      GEORGIA                                                                                   LEXINGTON                                 

March 1 (Sun)         at South Carolina                                                                     Columbia, S.C.                             

March 5-8                SEC Tournament (N2)                                                             North Little Rock, Ark.                  

March 21-24           NCAA First and Second Rounds

March 28-31           NCAA Regionals

April 5-7                   NCAA Final Four


Kentucky begins formal preparations for the season with Big Blue Madness on Friday, Oct. 17, in Rupp Arena.