June 22, 2015
LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Kentucky men’s basketball team will return to the Bahamas during the 2016-17 season when it plays Arizona State in the second year of a two-year contract with the Sun Devils.
The Wildcats will return to Nassau, Bahamas, on Nov. 28, 2016, to take on Bobby Hurley’s Arizona State squad. The game will be played in the 3,800-seat Imperial Ballroom at the Atlantis Paradise Island resort on Nassau’s Paradise Island, site of the annual Battle 4 Atlantis tournament. The matchup is the second game in a two-year agreement, as the Sun Devils will visit Rupp Arena this upcoming season on Dec. 12.
“We are thrilled to return to the Bahamas in 2016 to play Arizona State,” UK head coach John Calipari said. “The Bahamas bring back a lot of good memories for our team. It was there we built the foundation for our unforgettable 2014-15 season. I have a ton of respect for Coach Bobby Hurley and believe he’s going to take Arizona State to the next level. A great opponent coupled with a beautiful setting after the holiday weekend should make this an unbelievable trip for our fans.”
Kentucky is 3-0 all-time vs. Arizona State. This season’s matchup will mark the first meeting between the two schools since UK’s 82-65 victory in November 2002 in Maui, Hawaii. Two of the three previous meetings were neutral-site games. The lone matchup in Rupp Arena was a 94-68 Kentucky victory during the 1991-92 season.
UK’s return to the Bahamas in 2016 follows a memorable six-game exhibition tour to start the 2014-15 season. The Wildcats built the foundation for a special and historic 38-1 season with a 5-1 exhibition tour, including victories over the Dominican Republic National Team, the Puerto Rico National Team reserves, and Champagne Chalons-Reims Basket, a professional team from France.
Game time, TV coverage, and travel information and fan packages will be announced at a later time.
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