LONDON, Ont. - The Western Mustangs men's basketball team will travel to Windsor, Ont., to play John Calipari's Kentucky Wildcats on Monday Aug. 16 at 6 p.m. at the St. Denis Centre.
Kentucky will be in Windsor from Aug. 15-17 and will also play the Lancers men's team Aug. 15 and 17.
The Wildcats should be an intriguing matchup for both the Mustangs and Windsor.
"The opportunity to play a team the calibre of a Kentucky does not come along very often," said Mustangs head coach Brad Campbell. "Our guys are very excited to play against some of the best players in the NCAA and future NBA prospects."
Kentucky finished the 2009-10 season with a 35-3 record and was one of the top four seeds at the NCAA tournament, falling in the Elite Eight to West Virginia. They will return to action in 2010-11 with a strong group of players including forward recruit Enes Kanter and rookie point guard Brandon Knight.
In addition, the Wildcats have landed Miami-Dade junior college transfer Eloy Vargas who was named the 2010 Southern Conference Player of the Year.
The matchup against two of the CIS's top programs will rival the August 2008 clash between NCAA champion Kansas and perennial CIS powerhouse Carleton, which the Jayhawks won 84-83.
Last year, Western played Ohio State in pre-season. The previous season Western faced Morgan State and Southern Illinois.
"This game continues our annual commitment to play top level NCAA opponents," Campbell said. "These NCAA August games are a great way for our team to get to know each other and start the bonding process early on."
Ticket prices are $10 for adults and youth, $5 for children. Advance ticket information is expected to be released soon through the Windsor Lancers website. Only 2,500 tickets available for each game.
Advance tickets can be purchased starting Monday, June 14 by phone at (519) 253.3000 ext. 2437.
Kentucky Wildcats Team Profile
2009-10 Record: 35-3 (Elite Eight)
Lose: John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Patrick Patterson, Eric Bledsoe, Daniel Orton, Ramon Harris, Perry Stevenson
Key Returnees: Darius Miller, DeAndre Liggins, Darnel Dodson, Jon Hood
Newcomers: Brandon Knight, Enes Kanter, Doron Lamb, Stacey Poole, Terrence Jones, Eloy Vargas
Game schedule (all at St. Denis Centre)
Sunday, Aug. 15 - 7 p.m. - Windsor vs. Kentucky
Monday Aug. 16 - 6 p.m. - Western vs. Kentucky
Tuesday, Aug. 17 - 11 a.m. - Windsor vs. Kentucky
Ticket Information
Ticket Prices: $10 (Adult/Youth) and $5 (Children under 12)
Advance Tickets: Available starting Monday, June 14 by phone at (519) 253-3000 ext. 2437
