NCAA Basketball: Early preview of 2022 matchup between Gonzaga and Kentucky

In today’s era of NCAA Basketball, the non-conference slate has become very “feast or famine” in terms of high-level games. It’s become either incredible good top-20 matchups or “buy” games featuring a power conference home team versus a lower-level mid-major program.

There also is a regular lack of true “home and home” series, playing at one team’s place one year, followed by returning the favor the season after. There are multiple reasons for that, including a desire not to schedule tough games without knowing what the roster looks like, as well as how the new N.E.T. formula favors neutral site battles more than at home.

Still, there are rare occurrences that it happens. And the latest example comes between two marquee NCAA Basketball programs and Hall of Fame head coaches. During Kentucky’s telethon and scrimmage for Flood Relief efforts on Tuesday, Mark Few of Gonzaga called in to talk with John Calipari about some news between the programs.

The first game of the home-and-home series is set for Sunday, November 20th. It’s essentially part of “Feast Week”, with a load of quality matchups in the sport set to play within that timespan. But the Wildcats traveling to play to Spokane to take a program from the West Coast Conference.

Both of these teams are projected to be ranked in the top-10 of the preseason poll, potentially top-5. So it’ll be one of the most anticipated matchups of the upcoming season. For an early look into the game, here are five storylines to keep watch.