Kentucky Basketball vs West Virginia Mountaineers in Big 12/SEC Challenge

One of the most challenging games of the Kentucky Wildcats’ 2017-18 season has been announced.

On Thursday, the Big 12/SEC Challenge drawing were announced, and Kentucky will travel to face the West Virginia Mountaineers on Jan. 27. It will mark the Wildcats’ third all-time trip to Morgantown to play WVU and the first since defeating WVU 106-100 on Dec. 7, 1970. UK is 1-1 in games at West Virginia, but the Wildcats own the all-time head-to-head edge 15-5, including a 9-1 record over the last 10 games.

The last three meetings between the two schools have all taken place in the NCAA Tournament. The last game was in 2015, when UK rolled past the Mountaineers 78-39 and into the Elite Eight in Cleveland.

The 2018 slate of Big 12/SEC Challenge games will mark the fifth season of the annual event between the SEC and the Big 12 and the third straight season. Game times and network designations will be announced at a later date.

The core of that WVU team is expected to return for the 2017-18 meeting, including the top two leading scorers in Jevon Carter and Esa Ahmad. West Virginia is widely considered a top-25 team heading into next season based on early national rankings.

2018 Big 12/SEC Challenge

Oklahoma at Alabama

Georgia at Kansas State

Baylor at Florida

Texas Tech at South Carolina

TCU at Vanderbilt

Oklahoma State at Arkansas

Kentucky at West Virginia

Ole Miss at Texas

Tennessee at Iowa State

Texas A&M at Kansas