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It’s official: Utah men’s basketball finalizes two-game series with Kentucky

Utes, Wildcats will meet in Kentucky in 2018 and in Las Vegas in 2019

(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak as the University of Utah hosts USC, NCAA basketball at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, Saturday Feb. 24, 2018.

Now, it’s official: Utah has a couple of dates with Big Blue.

On Thursday morning, the Utah men’s basketball team announced a two-game scheduling agreement between the Runnin’ Utes and the Kentucky Wildcats. The first meeting is scheduled for Dec. 15, as Utah hits the road to face the Wildcats at the famed Rupp Arena.

The second meeting will take place not at the Huntsman Center but at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. That game is currently scheduled for Dec. 18, 2019.

“We feel that this will be a great opportunity to challenge our team early in the season,” Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak said in a team release. “This is one of the elite programs in the nation, who year-in and year-out, are ranked No. 1 in attendance. This will be a good experience for us to compete at a high level and help us prepare for league play.”

Utah’s non-conference schedule in 2018-19 looks to be its strongest to date under Krystkowiak. Along with its now-scheduled visit to Lexington, the Runnin’ Utes are currently scheduled to face Missouri on the road, Tulsa at home, rival BYU in the Beehive Classic and participate in the 2018 Wooden Legacy tournament in Anaheim, Calif., scheduled for Nov. 22, 23 and 25.

This year’s meeting will be the 12th all-time between Utah and Kentucky and the first since the two met in the Sweet 16 of the 2005 NCAA Tournament.