Kentucky looking to move Holiday Hoopsgiving, host MTE in November

By ADAM ZAGORIA

As Kentucky looks to rebuild its non-conference schedule, the Wildcats are looking to move their Holiday Hoopsgiving game against Georgia Tech in Atlanta to Dec. 5 or 6 from Nov. 27, sources said.

Kentucky was originally slated to play UAB Dec. 6, but that game may be canceled or postponed.

The Georgia Tech game was originally a stand-alone contest within the Hoopsgiving event, but sources said the event is also looking to create a bubble from Dec. 10-17 with games added from what was originally slated.

I’m told this event in Atlanta will become a bubble Dec. 10-17 and add games. The Kentucky-Georgia Tech game is a stand-alone. pic.twitter.com/1RjMBR8b3w

— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) September 18, 2020

As previously reported by Matt Norlander of CBSSports.com, Kentucky is looking to host a multi-team event Nov. 27 with Richmond and Detroit-Mercy, and possibly Hartford, sources confirmed. Brad Calipari, the son of Kentucky coach John Calipari, is now at Detroit-Mercy.

“We have to make sure that we’re taking care of some of the smaller schools that are missing out on buy games that could end their program,” Calipari said on a recent Andy Katz podcast, via KSR.

“Those are scholarships for kids. My son goes to Detroit. I don’t want that program to say, ‘Okay, we’re done. We can’t operate.’ How we do that, the three of us have talked. How do we come up with something? Is it push it forward? Is it give them a percentage by coming in all together and we’ll play it together and you get something to where they can be involved in this. I don’t have the answer to all that, but I think that’s one of the things we have to talk about.”

As for the Champions Classic featuring Kentucky, Kansas, Duke and Michigan State, that will likely be played sometime between Dec. 1-5 in Orlando, Katz reported. The event was originally slated for Nov. 10 in Chicago, but the NCAA recently announced the season will begin Nov. 25.

Tentative scheduling plans: Champions Classic (Kentucky, Duke, Kansas, Michigan State) and Jimmy V Classic (Baylor, Rutgers, Gonzaga, Tennessee) sometime between Dec 1-5 (likely Orlando); ACC-Big Ten Challenge looking at moving to Dec. 8-9, sites TBD.

— Andy Katz (@TheAndyKatz) September 18, 2020

Kentucky’s Dec. 12 game with Notre Dame at Rupp Arena remains on, sources said.

The Notre Dame-Kentucky game for Dec. 12 at Rupp remains on, per source.

— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) September 19, 2020

Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter

Follow ZAGSBLOGHoops on Instagram

And Like ZAGS on Facebook