Home-and-home series with Florida highlights UK’s conference schedule

Kentucky+Wildcat+forward+Marcus+Lee+%280%29+reacts+after+Kentucky+makes+a+basket+during+the+second+half+of+UK+mens+basketball+vs.+Michigan+State+at+Rupp+Arena+in+Chicago%2C+Ill.%2C+at+the+Champions+Classic+on+Tuesday%2C+November+12%2C+2013.+Photo+by+Emily+Wuetcher

Kentucky Wildcat forward Marcus Lee (0) reacts after Kentucky makes a basket during the second half of UK men’s basketball vs. Michigan State at Rupp Arena in Chicago, Ill., at the Champions Classic on Tuesday, November 12, 2013. Photo by Emily Wuetcher

Home-and-home series with Florida, Missouri, South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama highlight UK’s SEC schedule, which was announced on Friday.

The Cats’ SEC opener will be on Jan. 6 at Rupp Arena against Ole Miss. UK will travel to Texas A&M on Jan. 1o in the first of four UK conference games (six in total) to be televised on CBS.

The Cats will face Missouri twice in a span of 16 days (Jan. 13 at Rupp Arena, Jan. 29 in Columbia, Mo.) and Alabama twice in 14 days (Jan. 17 in Tuscaloosa, Ala. and Jan. 31 in Rupp Arena) in the month of January.

Florida and UK will battle for the first time in the 2014-15 season on Feb. 7 in Gainesville (9 p.m., ESPN) in a Saturday prime-time slot on ESPN, a spot usually reserved for the host site of ESPN’s College GameDay. The SEC’s two best teams last year will play for a second time on March 7 in Rupp Arena (2 p.m., CBS).

Bruce Pearl, named Auburn’s head coach in the spring, will return to Rupp Arena on Feb. 21 (6 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2).

2014-15 UK men’s basketball schedule

October

17 —BIG BLUE MADNESS (TBA)

27 —  BLUE-WHITE GAME (TBA)

November

2 — PIKEVILLE (TBA)

7 — GEORGETOWN COLLEGE (TBA)

14 — GRAND CANYON (SEC Network)

16 — BUFFALO (TBA, ESPNU)

18 — vs. Kansas in Indianapolis (9 p.m., ESPN)

21 — BOSTON (TBA)

23 — MONTANA STATE (TBA)

25 — UT-ARLINGTON (TBA)

30 — PROVIDENCE (9 p.m., ESPN2)

December

5 —  TEXAS (7 p.m., ESPN)

7 — EASTERN KENTUCKY (TBA)

10 — COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY (7 p.m., ESPN2)

13 — NORTH CAROLINA (Noon, CBS)

20 — vs. UCLA in Chicago (3:30 p.m., CBS)

27 — at Louisville (2 p.m., ESPN2)

January

6 — OLE MISS (7 p.m., SEC Network)

10 — at Texas A&M (1/3:30 p.m., CBS)

13 — MISSOURI (9 p.m., ESPN)

17 — at Alabama (4 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2)

20 — VANDERBILT (9 p.m., SEC Network)

24 — at South Carolina (Noon, ESPN/ESPN2)

29 — at Missouri (9 p.m., ESPN)

31 — ALABAMA (TBA, SEC Network)

February

3 — GEORGIA (7 p.m., ESPNU)

7 — at Florida (9 p.m. ESPN)

10 — at LSU (7 p.m., ESPN)

14 — SOUTH CAROLINA (2 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2)

17 — at Tennessee (7 p.m., ESPN)

21 — AUBURN (6 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2)

25 — at Mississippi State (7 p.m., SEC Network)

28 — ARKANSAS (4 p.m., CBS)

March

3 — at Georgia (9 p.m., ESPN)

7 — FLORIDA (2 p.m., CBS)

11-15 — SEC Tournament (SEC Network/ESPN)

Home games in bold.