Entries from August 2011 ↓

Todd Stewart, WKU’s Senior Associate Athletic Director, acknowledged that ticket sales have not gone as well as expected for Thursday night’s opener against Kentucky in Nashville.
LP Field, home of the Tennessee Titans, seats 68,798. WKU officials considered a half-full stadium as a reasonable possibiity.
“We’re looking at a crowd in the 20s,” said Stewart, meaning about a third full.
Stewart cited the mid-week date and late kickoff (9:15 p.m. EDT) as factors. He also noted the poor economy.
Ticket prices range from $28 to $63 and are available at WKUsports.com, Ticketmaster.com and at LP Field.

Purdue Coach Matt Painter, who coached the U.S. team in the recent World University Games, lauded the contributions of UK’s Darius Miller.

“You are who you are,” Painter said of Miller on a Monday teleconference. “Darius is a good guy, he’s a hard worker, and obviously he’s a very good basketball player. Anytime you can be MVP of the SEC Tournament, it speaks for itself.”

Painter noted that he had coached Miller in another international competition two years ago.

“His improvements from two years ago are great,” the Purdue coach said. “He’s better in all phases of the game in terms of handling the basketball, shooting the basketball and his overall decision-making. He’s really evolving into a big guard. He’s still going through that process, but he’s made some big steps. That (UK) staff has done a great job with him because he’s really made improvements in all areas of his game.”

The U.S. team used Miller in multiple ways, Painter said. But the UK player also contributed by simply being a nice guy to have around, Painter said.

“He’s a great teammate and a good person,” the Purdue coach said. “I think Kentucky’s got an unbelievable chance to go far this year, if not win it all. If Darius Miller is one of your guys in the mix, with a lot of young talent, he’s going to do a great job helping to piece things together because he’s that quintessential teammate.”

Morehead State’s men’s team and Louisville’s women’s team will be part of ESPN’s 24-hour Tip-Off Marathon.
Morehead State will play at College of Charleston starting at 8 a.m. EST on ESPN.
Kentucky will play Kansas (9 p.m. tip) as part of ESPN’s Tip-Off Marathon on Nov. 15.
Louisville will play at defending national champion Texas A&M starting at 4 p.m. on ESPNU.

Kentucky just announced that its Nov. 15 game against Kansas this coming basketball season will tip off at 9 p.m.
It will be part of ESPN’s College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon.

The game will be played in Madison Square Garden in New York City.

UK hasn’t played Kansas since the Jayhawks won a game in the 2007 NCAA Tournament.
Here’s the schedule for the 24-hour ESPN marathon:

Tuesday, November 15:
12 am ET – Washington State @ Gonzaga, ESPN

2 am ET – Northern Iowa @ St. Mary’s, ESPN

4 am ET – South Alabama @ Hawaii, ESPN

6 am ET – Drexel @ Rider, ESPN

8 am ET – Morehead State @ College of Charleston, ESPN

10 am ET – Kent State @ West Virginia, ESPN

12 pm ET – Belmont @ Memphis, EA Sports Maui Invitational, ESPN

2 pm ET – San Diego State @ Baylor, ESPN

4 pm ET – Rhode Island @ Texas, TicketCity Legends Classic, ESPN

4 pm ET – Louisville @ Texas A&M (women), ESPNU

6 pm ET – Miami @ Tennessee (women), State Farm Tip-Off Classic, ESPN2

6 pm ET – TBD @ Virginia Tech, DICK’S Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off, ESPNU

7 pm ET – Duke v. Michigan State, State Farm Champions Classic, ESPN

8 pm ET – Florida @ Ohio State, ESPN2

9 pm ET – Kentucky v. Kansas, State Farm Champions Classic, ESPN

10 pm ET – Austin Peay @ California, CBE Classic, ESPN2

11 pm ET – TBD @ Stanford, DICK’S Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off, ESPNU

TBD – TBD @ Syracuse, DICK’S Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off, ESPN3.com
TBD – Arkansas-Pine Bluff @ Oklahoma State, DICK’S Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off, ESPN3.com

Kentucky wing Darius Miller averaged 5.6 points for the U.S. team in the World University Games. That made him the team’ s 10th leading scorer.

In eight games, Miller made 16 of 34 shots (47.1 percent), five of 11 three-point attempts (45.5 percent), got credit for six assists and committed 12 turnovers. He also averaged 18.4 minutes and 3.6 rebounds.

Two other Southeastern Conference players led the U.S. in scoring. Vanderbilt guard John Jenkins was the leading scorer with an average of 13.5 points. JaMychal Green of Alabama was the second-leading scorer at 12.6 ppg.

While hardy a neutral observer as Lexington leaders explore building a new downtown arena or renovating Rupp Arena, University of Kentucky Director of Athletics Mitch Barnhart said Monday he would put UK basketball’s needs ahead of any other consideration.

“My job is to protect University of Kentucky basketball and make sure it has what it needs to be the flagship of college basketball,” he said.

Former UK Coach Joe B. Hall attended a media briefing on Lexington look into either renovating Rupp Arena or building a new downtown arena.

A subcommittee of Lexington Mayor Jim Gray’s Arena, Art & Entertainment District Task Force recently visited Columbus, Ohio, to look at that city’s Arena District. Another group will visit Indianapolis later this week.

“I hope we don’t copy anybody else,” Hall said. “I hope it’s better than anybody else. . . . Let’s make it unique to Kentucky.”

With an eye toward the shaky economy, Lexington businessman Jim Host suggested earlier this year that Rupp Arena be preserved as college basketball’s Fenway Park. Rather than go through the expense of building a new arena, Lexington could renovate Rupp more economically.

“We’ll be open to looking at everything,” UK Director of Athletics Mitch Barnhart said Monday. ” . . . I’m not going to say we’re locked into one thing. My thing is to be open-minded.”

Ea rlier in a briefing for reporters, Lexington Mayor Jim Gray said that either Rupp Arena or a new downtown arena had to meet the needs of UK’s basketball program.

When asked how Rupp Arena was not currently meeting the needs of the program, Barnhart noted the importance of staying current with “electronics” and concessions. He also suggested that recruiting does not revolve around history.

“Kids have a three- or four-year window,” he said.

Though disinclined to be tied down to deadlines, Lexington Mayor Jim Gray and his Arena, Arts and Entertainment District Task Force has set a goal of deciding on a plan for  a downtown basketball arena by early next year.

That deadline was part of a presentation for reporters on Monday.

But Gray noted that the process of exploring options  is a long way from nearing the finish line. “We’re at Step One or Two,” he said. “This is a project that will have 10 steps.”

Renovate Rupp Arena? Build a new arena?
During a Monday briefing for reporters, Lexington Mayor Jim Gray and University of Kentucky Director of Athletics Mitch Barnhart offered thoughts on an over-riding theme to the arena question.
Advice from Columbus, Ohio, Mayor Michael B. Coleman made an impression on Gray.
“Dream big,” Gray said of the thoughts Coleman shared when a group from Lexington toured Columbus on Aug. 12. “You can always adjust.”
Barnhart amended that statement slightly when spoke about what he learned on the tour of Columbus’ Nationwide Arena and the city’s Arena District.
“When the time came to take a risk, they swung big,” he said.