Indiana, Kentucky Basketball Series Continues to Gain Momentum

Indiana basketball coach Mike Woodson has pushed for annual series with Kentucky and John Calipari, and recent reports show that could be coming soon.

The renewal of the Indiana-Kentucky basketball rivalry has gained traction since Mike Woodson took over as head coach at Indiana, and it appears an agreement is close.

Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports reported Wednesday that Indiana and Kentucky are in advanced discussions to play a multi-year series with games on campus in Bloomington, Ind. and Lexington, Ky. in addition to neutral sites. The series is not expected to begin for a couple years, according to Rothstein.

Woodson expressed his desire to play Kentucky throughout the offseason, and he's shown clear intentions to build a difficult non-conference schedule for Indiana on a yearly basis. Indiana plays North Carolina, Kansas, Arizona and Xavier during the 2022-23 season, three of which will be played away from Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. In May, Woodson stated his message to Kentucky coach John Calipari.

"I'm not going to let it die," Woodson said. "I'm going to stay on [Calipari's] heels about getting the Kentucky-Indiana series back on the table because I just think over the years, man, that was a hell of a game, going to Lexington and them coming down to Bloomington."

The Hoosiers and Wildcats played almost every year across four decades, and Kentucky leads the all-time series 32-25. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the teams alternated December matchups at Assembly Hall and Rupp Arena. The rivalry also included NCAA Tournament games in 1973 at Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville, Tenn., 1975 at UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio, and 1983 at Stokely Athletic Center in Knoxville, Tenn. From the late 1980s to early 2000s, Indiana and Kentucky played neutral site games in December and January at the Hoosier/RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Ind. and Freedom Hall in Louisville, Ky., as well as a few games at Assembly Hall and Rupp Arena. 

The teams went back to on-campus games from 2006-11, but they haven't matched up since the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa. Indiana defeated Kentucky 73-67 to advance to the Sweet 16 under coach Tom Crean. Thomas Bryant led the Hoosiers with 19 points, followed by 18 from Yogi Ferrell and 13 from Troy Williams. Tyler Ulis paced the Wildcats with 27 points, and Jamal Murray added 16. 

The last time Indiana and Kentucky matched up in the regular season was on Dec. 10, 2011 when Christian Watford hit an iconic 3-pointer at the buzzer to stun the No. 1 Wildcats. Watford's 20-point performance included a 4-for-6 night from 3, and Victor Oladipo, Cody Zeller, Jordan Hulls and Will Sheehey each finished with double-digit points. Doron Lamb led Kentucky with 19 points, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist contributed 18 points and nine rebounds. Future No. 1 pick Anthony Davis dealt with foul trouble throughout the night, ending the game with six points, nine rebounds, three blocks and three steals. 

Kentucky went on to earn the No. 1 overall seed in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, avenging this loss with a 102-90 victory over the No. 4-seed Hoosiers. Kentucky defeated Kansas in the National Championship game, and Davis was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player.

Nothing is official yet, but it appears Indiana and Kentucky will be matching up again soon. 

Related stories on Indiana basketball:

• HANDLING EXPECTATIONS NEXT CHALLENGE FOR IU: For the first time in a long time, Indiana is projected to win the Big Ten title and make a long NCAA tournament run. That's foreign territory for this current group of Hoosiers, and handling all of these lofty expectations will be a challenge to embrace. CLICK HERE
• HOOSIER HYSTERIA VIDEO: Nothing is more important than family, not even Indiana basketball. Check out two sweet videos of guard Tamar Bates and his baby girl Leilani and assistant coach Kenya Hunter dancing with his daughter Kendall at Hoosier Hysteria 2022. CLICK HERE
• SNOOP DOGG SHOUTOUT TO HOOSIERS: What better way to kick off the 2022-23 men's and women's basketball seasons than with a shout out from Snoop Dogg himself? Find the video inside the story. CLICK HERE
• JACKSON-DAVIS. WOODSON ON FOX'S BIG NOON KICKOFF: Indiana basketball head coach Mike Woodson and forward Trayce Jackson-Davis were guests on FOX's Big Noon Kickoff show ahead of Hoosier football's homecoming matchup versus the Wolverines. Jackson-Davis got a little spirited and even smashed a Michigan piñata. CLICK HERE
• INDIANA BASKETBALL SCHEDULE: The 2022-2023 Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball scheduled is now finalized with game time and TV information for every matchup. All games can be seen on BTN, BTN+, CBS, ESPN/ESPN2, FS1 and FOX. CLICK HERE