Kentucky Wildcats to face Seton Hall Pirates in MSG next season

The Kentucky Wildcats are set to return to Madison Square Garden for the 2018-19 college basketball season.

According to Jon Rothstein, UK is finalizing an agreement to face the Seton Hall Pirates at MSG next season. The target date is Dec. 8.

It will be a matchup of teams who are losing multiple starters off of their previous squad. UK just lost Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to the NBA Draft, three days after Kevin Knox also left for the NBA. Hamidou Diallo is widely expected to leave, which would mean UK loses at least three starters off of a team that made it to the Sweet 16. They finished the season 26-11 and 10-8 in the SEC.

As for Seton Hall, they’re losing starters Khadeen Carrington, Desi Rodriguez, Ismael Sanogo, and Angel Delgado from this past season’s team that made it to the Round of 32. they finished 22-12 and 10-8 in the Big East.

They’ve made the NCAA Tournament in three straight seasons under head coach Kevin Willard. His Pirates finished 21-12 in 2016-17 and 25-9 in 2015-16. However, they have yet to make it part the first weekend of the Big Dance under Willard.

This will be one of many good non-conference regular-season tests for the Cats next season. Thus far, we know UK will play the Duke Blue Devils in the Champions Classic, as well as the Ohio State Buckeyes in the CBS Sports Class.

UK will be on the road for a matchup with the Louisville Cardinals. UK is also expected to host the West Virginia Mountaineers in the Big 12-SEC Challenge.