2000-01 Women’s Basketball Schedule
After playing the second toughest schedule in the nation last season, the Kentucky women’s basketball teamhas again put together a challenging schedule for the 2000-01 season. The Wildcats could face 15opponents that advanced to post season play last March, including seven teams ranked in the AssociatedPress Top 25.
“Again this season I feel we have a challenging schedule ahead of us,” UK Coach Bernadette Mattox said.”We have a lot of young talent this season, mostly freshmen and sophomores. Our non-conference schedulewill give the freshmen an opportunity to gain experience and confidence needed before we hit theSoutheastern Conference race. We will have to be patient with the players as we delve early into toughnon-conference competition and then hit the senior-laden teams of the SEC.”
After two exhibition games in early November, UK opens its demanding non-conference slate with a homegame versus Miami, Ohio on Nov. 21. The Cats will spend the Thanksgiving Holiday on a cross-country tripto participate in the Pepperdine Classic in Malibu, Calif. UK will face Missouri for the first time in 11seasons in the first round with possible opponents Pepperdine and Houston battling in the following game. UK returns to Lexington for a two-game homestand when first-time opponent IUPUI and nationally-rankedPurdue visit Lexington on Nov. 29 and Dec. 1, respectively. The Wildcats then set off on a six-game roadtrip that will take the Cats away from Lexington throughout the month of December. Xavier and intrastaterival Louisville christen the itinerary on Dec. 6 and Dec. 9 before the Cats head to sunny Miami, Fla., onDec. 17. UK will participate in the prestigious Orange Bowl Classic, meeting Florida International in adouble-header with conference opponent Florida and North Carolina. UK will remain in Miami on Dec. 19to take on Miami, Fla., a team the Cats haven’t played since 1989.
A double-header game versus Cincinnati, with the UK men versus Indiana, will be played in Louisville’sFreedom Hall on Dec. 22. The Cats return home on Dec. 30 to face first-time opponent Florida Atlantic inthe last game of the year.
Launching the conference schedule for the fourth straight season will be Auburn on Jan. 4 in Auburn. Againthis season the Cats will face the SEC Champions of Tennessee twice in a seven-day span, playing host tothe Lady Vols in Lexington on Jan. 21 before traveling to Knoxville on Saturday, Jan. 27. UK will also playhost to Florida on Jan. 7, Vanderbilt on Jan.11 and Alabama on Jan. 25. The Cats will mix innon-conference opponent Virginia Commonwealth on Jan. 31 in Lexington before playing host to Arkansas,South Carolina and Ole Miss.
Last season Kentucky finished with its second straight winning record (15-14), a feat not accomplished by aWildcat squad since the 1992-93 and 1993-94 seasons.
Other highlights of the season include:
UK will face four teams for the first time in history: IUPUI, Florida International, Florida Atlantic andVirginia Commonwealth.
Fifteen of UK’s opponents advanced to post-season play, including seven teams who won their first roundgame in the NCAA Tournament.
The rotating SEC 14-game schedule, the Cats will face Tennessee, Arkansas and South Carolina inhome-and-home series. UK will play UT and Arkansas in a home-and-home series until 2001. SouthCarolina will remain as the Cats’ permanent home-and-home opponent.
