‘B’ is for Billie (sic) and ‘K’ for Keightley

With Kentucky basketball poised to tip off another season with Big Blue Madness Friday night, here are a couple morsels to  digest.

UK will unveil its new uniform design at Madness. They’ll be a sneak preview for VIPs and media members earlier in the day. A good authority says part of the uniform design will be a black ‘K’ in honor of the late Bill Keightley, long-time equipment manager/father confessor/good-time Charlie.

If true, kudos to Kentucky athletic officials for a nice touch. Subtle, yet memorable. Plus, something with the uniform seems appropriate to honor the equipment manager.

Of course, Keightley passed away this spring. He had worked in UK’s equipment room since 1962.

Not sure about the uniform design but smart money is on a design featuring racing stripes.

Meanwhile, our other morsel involves UK Coach Billy Gillispie’s talk to the Lexington Rotary Club on Thursday. Coach G raised eyebrows by not giving the club a preview of the upcoming season last year. That broke a tradition that began in the 1950s (and perhaps the 1930s).

Of all people, I substituted for him. During the question-and-answer period, more than one Rotarian wanted me to explain why Gillispie was not there. I noted the busy schedule of a new coach and how coaches, generally, do not relish  such speaking engagements.

When he spoke to reporters after his talk, Gillispie cited his efforts to recruit as the reason he did not show.

Anyway, the Rotarians greeted Gillispie’s introduction with applause. After his talk, many stood in line for autographs or to request he pose for a picture. All in all, a winning performance.

However, we couldn’t help noticing the Rotary’s newsletter, the Wheel Horse, misspelled Gillispie’s name. Surprise, his first name. The caption under his photo read: Coach Billie Gillispie.