Mike Woodson Staying on John Calipari's Heels About Indiana and Kentucky Matchup

Mike Woodson has already bulked up Indiana's non-conference schedule with games against Kansas and Arizona, but he's continuing to look for competition to put Indiana on a national stage. It might not happen this year, but Woodson wants Kentucky and Louisville back on the schedule.

It's been over ten years since the Indiana and Kentucky men's basketball programs have played in the regular season. Everyone remembers the game. "Watford for the win" were the last words uttered before pure pandemonium broke out at Assembly Hall.

Kentucky would avenge this loss later that season with a 102-90 win in the 2012 Sweet 16 en route to Kentucky's most recent national title. The teams haven't met since 2016 when Indiana took down Kentucky 73-67 in the round of 32, but Indiana head coach Mike Woodson is looking to change that. 

Woodson spoke to the media and fans on Wednesday night at Huber's Orchard and Winery in Borden, Ind, and hinted that he's been working on renewing the rivalry. Woodson said he talked with Kentucky head coach John Calipari early on when he got the job at Indiana. 

"I'm not going to let it die," Woodson said. "I'm going to stay on his 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 alternated home and away games for six seasons starting in 2006, and Kentucky went 4-2 in these matchups. From 1991 to 2005, the annual rivalry was played in Indianapolis and Louisville. 

Former Indiana athletic director Fred Glass proposed a four-game series with Kentucky beginning with two games at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis during the 2012 and 2013 seasons. The series would have concluded with a game at Rupp Arena in 2014 and a game at Assembly Hall in 2015, but Kentucky rejected this proposal.

Former Indiana head coach Archie Miller also discussed a desire to schedule games against Kentucky, but it never came to fruition. At this point, there seems to be an unwillingness from Calipari to rekindle the rivalry, but Woodson said this matchup is a game he's got to get back on the table. 

"It might not be Bloomington, Lexington, I don't know," Woodson said. "But however way we can get it done, I'll take it."

Woodson also teased a potential series with Louisville in the near future. Kenny Payne, who won the National Championship with Louisville in 1986, was hired as Louisville's head coach this offseason and has known Woodson for many years. Woodson said Payne and the Louisville Athletic Director promised him a game in two years. 

"I think [Payne] is going to do great things there," Woodson said. "He's a competitive guy, and he knows the recruiting game." 

Indiana last played Louisville at Assembly Hall during the 2018-2019 season when the Hoosiers won a 68-67 game behind 21 points from Romeo Langford.

While games with Kentucky and Louisville are still up in the air, Woodson has already scheduled two non conference games that will draw national attention. First, Indiana will travel to Las Vegas on Dec. 10 to play Arizona, who was No. 1 seed in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. The Hoosiers will then head to Phog Allen Fieldhouse to play the defending national champion Kansas Jayhawks on Dec. 17.

"Kansas, Arizona, are two great teams that will be competing at the end when it's all said and done," Woodson said. "We'll see what we're made of when we face those teams."

The last time the Hoosiers and Jayhawks met was in an overtime thriller in the Armed Forces Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii on Nov. 11, 2016. Indiana won this game 103-99 thanks to 26 points from James Blackmon Jr.

Indiana will also play in the Gavitt Games this season after defeating Saint John's 76-75 on Nov. 17, 2021 at Assembly Hall. The Hoosiers will play on the road against a Big East team during the 2022 Gavitt Games, but an opponent has not been announced. Villanova, Creighton, Xavier, UConn and Seton Hall are the projected top five teams in the Big East.

Indiana hosts a game in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge this year after losing in double overtime at Syracuse last season. Trayce Jackson-Davis and his friend Armando Bacot – who helped lead North Carolina to the National Championship game last year – joked on social media about a potential matchup. And with North Carolina and Indiana projected to be top teams in their respective conferences, this matchup is very possible.

You know it’s going down @accmbb @B1GMBBall make it happen https://t.co/OldUtjK0hu

— Armando Bacot Jr. (@iget_buckets35) May 20, 2022

North Carolina dominated Indiana in the 2016 NCAA Tournament, defeating the Hoosiers 101-86 behind 20-point efforts from Marcus Paige and Brice Johnson. But in their most recent matchup, Indiana avenged this loss by defeating North Carolina 76-67 on Nov. 30, 2016 at Assembly Hall thanks to 16 points from OG Anunoby. 

"I have no idea who we are playing there," Woodson said of the Big Ten-ACC Challenge. "But it's going to be somebody good, imagine that."

Stories related to Indiana basketball:

• WOODSON, ALLEN SPEAK AT HUBER'S: Indiana head football coach Tom Allen and basketball coach Mike Woodson made the trip to Huber's Orchard and Winery on Wednesday night for a special Hoosiers event where fans indulged in a delicious dinner while listening to their favorite coaches speak about what's to come for their upcoming seasons. CLICK HERE
• TOM BREW COLUMN: The first thing Trayce Jackson-Davis has done upon announcing that he's coming back to Bloomington for his fourth year is lay down the law to his teammates, that no stupid behavior will be tolerated. His leadership might be the most important thing he brings to the table this season, even more than his points and rebounds and blocked shots. CLICK HERE
• JACKSON-DAVIS LEAVING A LEGACY: It became an easy decision for Trayce Jackson-Davis to return to Indiana after a positive covid test kept him from competing at the NBA Draft Combine. And after receiving feedback on how he can improve his game, he's ready to leave a legacy at Indiana. CLICK HERE