Indiana, Lamar Wilkerson will come to Rupp Arena in December
After spurning the Wildcats for the Hoosiers, new Indiana commit Lamar Wilkerson will get his shot at Kentucky later this year.
According to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports, Kentucky will host Indiana in Rupp Arena on Saturday, Dec. 13, as part of the 2025-26 non-conference schedule. It will mark the first of a four-game series between the two historic programs that runs through the 2028-29 season.
Dec. 13, 2025 – Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center, Lexington, Ky.
Dec. 27, 2026 – Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Ind. (IU home game)
Dec. 18, 2027 – Rupp Arena Central Bank Center, Lexington, Ky.
Dec. 16, 2028 – Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, Bloomington, Ind.
This game was originally set for Dec. 20, but per the Herald-Leader, scheduling confusion with the CBS Sports Classic (UK is scheduled to face UCLA on Dec. 20) has bumped it up a week to Dec. 13.
Renewing this rivalry matchup was a long time coming. Kentucky and Indiana have gone head-to-head 57 times throughout history, UK leading the all-time series 32-25. The two programs played regularly from the 1970s all the way to the early 2010s before it was taken away. The last regular season meeting between UK and IU was the infamous 2011 game in Bloomington that saw Christian Watford hit a game-winning buzzer-beater. Since then, the ‘Cats and Hoosiers have faced off just twice, both coming in the NCAA Tournament (2012, 2016).
With Wilkerson choosing Indiana over Kentucky on Tuesday, a new angle has been added to this December showdown — even more so after his post-commitment comments.
“It was a pleasure to be recruited by Kentucky,” Wilkerson said on The Field of 68. “But I didn’t want to go to Kentucky and just be another guy, that has already been to Kentucky. Hoosiers basketball, it’s a big-time name, and they haven’t been where they wanted to be.
“I trust Coach (Darian) DeVries and what’s bringing in and the type of coach he is and how he’s going to put us in position to win. We can do this together. It’s just going to make my story better, his story better, and Hoosier basketball will be back.”
Formerly at Sam Houston, Wilkerson was viewed as the final missing piece to Kentucky’s 2025-26 roster. Last season, the 6-foot-4 guard averaged 20.5 points while shooting 44.5 percent from deep on his way to earning his second straight All-CUSA First-Team honors. But he opted for a larger role with the Hoosiers and will now come to Rupp Arena in December with plenty of eyes on him.
The post Indiana, Lamar Wilkerson will come to Rupp Arena in December appeared first on On3.
