Penn and St. Joseph’s to face the Kentucky men’s basketball team this season
The Quakers also released its full 2023-24 schedule, while the Hawks listed only their non-conference slate.
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Call it a two-fer of sorts.
On Thursday, a deluge of local Big 5 men’s basketball non-conference schedules dropped, with perhaps the biggest news emerging is that both Penn and St. Joseph’s will face Kentucky this season.
For Penn, which released its full schedule Thursday, its home game against the Wildcats is on Dec. 9 and will be held at the Wells Fargo Center. That coincides with the already announced Villanova-UCLA non-conference matchup.
But, The Inquirer has learned, the games are not a single-admission doubleheader. The arena will be cleared between games.
» READ MORE: UCLA, North Carolina highlight the release of Villanova’s 11-game nonconference schedule
Penn’s game against Kentucky will showcase the return of three former prep stars who signed with the Wildcats — Imhotep’s Justin Edwards and Camden High’s DJ Wagner and Aaron Bradshaw. Kareem Watkins, Wagner’s brother and also a Camden native, is a senior on the team.
A week before, on Dec. 2, both Penn and and St. Joseph’s will take part in the inaugural Big 5 Classic, a tripleheader at the Wells Fargo Center.
Kentucky will host St. Joseph’s in Lexington, Ky., on Nov. 20 as part of the Wildcat Challenge. The Hawks will also face Stonehill College of Massachusetts (Nov. 14) and Texas A&M-Commerce (Nov. 17) in that event.
Who else will St. Joe’s face this season?
Also highlighting St. Joe’s schedule is a home game at Hagan Arena against Princeton on Dec. 10 and a road visit to the College of Charleston on Dec. 21. Both teams are defending conference champions and qualified for the NCAA Tournament last season.
Princeton shocked the field by reaching the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1967.
» READ MORE: Temple, Big 5 sports information mainstay Larry Dougherty announces retirement
Penn to face Houston, Auburn on the road
The Quakers have tough non-conference road games back-to-back with Houston (Dec. 30) and Auburn (Jan. 2). Penn will open its Ivy League schedule at home against Dartmouth on Jan. 6 and faces Princeton away on Feb. 10 and home to close the season on March 9.
The full schedule is available via Penn’s website, with times and broadcast information for games to be determined.