Indiana vs Kentucky Series Reflects Darian DeVries' Scheduling Philosophy

The Hoosiers and Wildcats renew their rivalry series Saturday at Rupp Arena after a lengthy hiatus.

Indiana Hoosiers coach Darian DeVries walks along the sideline against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Has it really been almost 10 years?

Indiana versus Kentucky was once one of the best rivalries in college basketball, but it's been gone for far too long. That'll change Saturday as the Wildcats host the Hoosiers at 7:30 p.m. ET at Rupp Arena.

Much has changed since the teams last met in the 2016 NCAA Tournament, a 73-67 victory for Tom Crean and Yogi Ferrell's Hoosiers over John Calipari's Wildcats. But now with four games on the books over the next four years –– an agreement officially announced in 2023 –– first-year Indiana coach Darian DeVries aims to make the Kentucky rivalry game a staple of future schedules.

"I think it's a great series. I hope we can continue this forever," DeVries said Thursday. "This is the first year of a four-game stretch, so I think it's great for both programs. I think it's great for college basketball. I think it's something that certainly both our programs are excited about, and I know both our fan bases are excited about. These are great nonconference games that we want to be a part of and play."

Future Indiana vs. Kentucky basketball games

• Dec. 27, 2026: Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind.
• Dec. 18, 2027: Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky.
• Dec. 16, 2028: Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Ind.

Indiana Hoosiers guard Yogi Ferrell (11) shoots the ball against Kentucky guards Isaiah Briscoe (13) and Jamal Murray (23) in the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena. | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

DeVries referenced Christian Watford's iconic 3-pointer that lifted Indiana over No. 1 Kentucky in 2011 as his favorite moment of the Indiana-Kentucky series. Color commentator Dick Vitale was on the call for that game, and coincidentally, he's also calling Saturday's matchup at Rupp Arena for ESPN, alongside Dave O'Brien and Charles Barkley.

That game will end what had been the longest stretch between Indiana-Kentucky matchups since a break from 1944 to 1965. After that, the teams met almost on an annual basis, with 57 all-time meetings. Kentucky leads the series 32-25 and has a 10-4 record against Indiana since 2000, though the Hoosiers have won two of the last three contests.

Though Indiana hasn't won a national championship since 1987 –– and Kentucky's only title this century came in 2012 –– these big-name brand matchups reflect DeVries' larger philosophy regarding nonconference scheduling moving forward.

"I just think you gotta find some of those marquee games and quality opponents to get you ready for Big Ten play. I think that's number one," DeVries said. "You want to get on the road, you want to get at home, neutral sit games. They're all good. Neutral site games give you a conference tournament feel, and they also give you a postseason feel."

"So those are all types of games that we want to be a part of and play in. There's also a lot of other variables, where you gotta have some home games for everything from your fans, your budget, those type of things. That's why I also think you're gonna see a lot more of those neutral site games as you move forward, too, for that reason."

Indiana got off to a 7-0 start through November, and Kentucky had been ranked as high as No. 9 this season under second-year coach Mark Pope. It was shaping up to be a top-25 matchup, but both teams have stumbled of late.

The Hoosiers began Big Ten play with an 73-64 loss at Minnesota on Dec. 6, followed by an 87-78 neutral site loss to Louisville on Saturday. Kentucky also lost to Louisville last month, and then fell to three more ranked opponents: Michigan State, North Carolina and Gonzaga.

Kentucky Wildcats coach Mark Pope talks with guard Otega Oweh (00) against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

The Wildcats run very hot and cold, scoring 100-plus points in four games, while also struggling mightily in Friday's 94-59 loss to Gonzaga. That creates some uncertainty from both sides of Saturday's matchup.

"I think the biggest thing for [Kentucky] when you look at the games they've played well, they've scored easily. The games they've struggled, they just haven't shot it well," DeVries said. "And they have a good shooting team when you look at their stats from last year, percentages and things, some of the guys just haven't shot it as well. I'm sure as the season goes on, those numbers will start to come back to the norm."

"It's just they've had some games where that hasn't been the case. But incredibly talented, gifted offensive team, and they can hurt you in a lot of different ways. And that 3-point shooting, if you start to add that to it, then they start to become really scary."

Rivalries like Indiana versus Kentucky are what make college basketball great, and Saturday marks the first step in getting back to that.

• Darian DeVries Explains Indiana Basketball Starting Lineup Change

• Lamar Wilkerson Walked Through Flames. The Trail Led Him to Indiana Basketball.

• Looking Back At Indiana's 5 Highest-Scoring Individual Games At Assembly Hall

• What Lamar Wilkerson, Reed Bailey Said After Indiana Basketball's Win vs Penn State