Aug. 30, 2002

Maui Invitational Bracket (PDF)

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky will open its 100th season of men’s basketball against Arizona State in the EA Sports Maui Invitational in November, the tournament announced on Thursday.The Wildcats and Sun Devils have met twice during the 1990s, with the Wildcats winning both contests. UK beat State in the last meeting at the 1995 NCAA Southeast Region Semifinals, 97-73. Kentucky fans will recognize a familiar face on the sidelines for the Sun Devils. Rob Evans, who coached at Ole Miss from 1992-98, has been coaching at ASU for the past four seasons.

The Wildcats are bracketed with Virginia and host Chaminade in the round-robin tournament. Indiana, which UK will face on Dec. 21 in Louisville, is in the opposite bracket. If both teams win their first two games, they’ll battle in the title game. It would mark the first time the teams will have played twice in the same season since the 1982-83 campaign. That year, UK lost at Bloomington before beating the Hoosiers in the NCAA Tournament.

Kentucky will face first-round opponent Arizona State at 4 p.m. Hawaii time, a 9 p.m. ET start. ESPN will broadcast the tournament, but its broadcast schedule has not been finalized.The Wildcats also received confirmation of their last three tip-off times that were listed as “TBA” when the schedule was released in early August. The Cats’ games at South Carolina on Feb. 1 and at home against LSU on Feb. 15 will begin at 1 p.m. ET and be televised on Jefferson-Pilot Sports. ESPN will broadcast the Georgia game at Rupp Arena at 9 p.m. ET as part of its “Super Tuesday” package on Feb. 11.

One name change also has been made. The opponent in the Wildcats’ exhibition game on Nov. 18 will be Team Nike, not Nike Elite.

Nov. 25

Kentucky vs. Arizona State
Chaminade vs. Virginia
Indiana vs. UMass
Utah vs. Gonzaga

Nov. 26

Semifinals/Consolation

Nov. 27

Championship/Consolation

— Go Cats —