My friend Steve writes:
John,
Of all the decisions made by Mitch Barnhart during his tenure here, this one to play a meaningless NIT game at Memorial Coliseum is one of the worst. The coliseum is hallowed ground as far as I’m concerned and the final game there was a win (as it should be) against Mississippi State in 1976. To open up the record book again and for them to possibly lose to UNLV in the NIT, making that the final game played there is a disgrace.
They had the perfect “out” with the NIT people by telling them their arena was not available because of the State Tournament. If they were hell bent on playing, then they should have gone to Vegas to play. After all, they had a better record there this miserable year than they did at home. If they won in Vegas, then they could come back to Rupp for the next game.
Agree? Disagree? What say you?
John Clay is a sports columnist for the Lexington Herald-Leader. A native of Central Kentucky and graduate of UK, he covered UK football for 13 seasons before being promoted to columnist in 2000. He lives in Lexington with his wife and two sons. You can e-mail him at jclay@herald-leader.com.
I wholeheartedly disagree that playing the NIT in Memorial soils hallowed ground. It is basketball, nothing is actually holy, and I am for one excited to see a game played in Memorial. I was too young to notice when the cats last played there and look forward to seeing whether the intimate atmosphere provides a better home court advantage.
A bigger question is why does the state basketball tournament have precedence in Rupp. Lexington is basically refusing to ever participate as a first round NCAA host for a ‘drive-in’ event for high school.
Ben, Rupp hosted the first round of the NCAA tournament 2 years I. It’s not that Lexington is throwing out the possibility it’s just that it has to be planned for accordingly and obviously we will never plan to host an NIT game a year or so in advance.
Interesting letter…but I have one question: doesn’t UK practice at Memorial Coliseum on occasion? If so, I’d say UK will have a SERIOUS shooting advantage. I see the Cats catching on fire and running through this tournament albeit a South Carolina match-up
Take home court advantage whenever you can get it. It’s a gym for heaven’s sake, not Churchill’s bunker.
The last games played on it have been women’s games, so the “hallowed ground” argument is kind of silly. And the old floor was recently ripped up and tossed in the garbage.
I think it’s purely a cost decision. A lot more expensive to use Rupp than Memorial, and the revenue won’t be near as much as it is at Rupp. In that sense, it was a no-brainer.
Oops, I meant that the revenue won’t be nearly as much as a typical regular-season Rupp game (I don’t think you could get even 10,000 people at Rupp with a ticket price of $33).
IT’S FOOTBALL TIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIME IN THE BLUUUUEGRAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!
How much of a postseason bonus does Coach Billy Gillispie receive for “advancing” to the NIT?
100% wrong IMO. Personally I have thought for several years that we should scrap going to Louisville or Cincy for home game against a nobody and play at least 2 games a year in Memorial.
Yet I am not talking about playing High Point or Delaware State or some team we pay to get a practice in on but a good team. Like a Florida or Tennessee….how about North Carolina or Kansas someone like that. Let it be a game that is for the fans and not season ticket holders. Could you imagine the home court advantage we would have if the UK fans that actually enjoy cheering for the Cats got to seat close? Instantly it would rival just about any place in the country you can think of. I realize however that it probably will never happen.
But to say it is the worst decision Barnhart has ever made is off base to me. The hallowed grounds were ripped out a couple of years ago when they discarded the floor into a trash bin out back. It is a building with a rich history in it. One that we should be proud of and honor from time to time rather than let is sit only to see action from the women’s team. No it wasn’t the perfect out by saying the Sweet Sixteen is in Rupp we can’t play. For all the PR stunts that Billy has made, saying we are too good for the NIT this season would have thrown gas on a bonfire.
Face it we are where we belong. Once AGAIN in our history we have been humbled. Where you go from being humbled is how you are judged. It happened to Rupp, Joe B, the Sutton years and now again. What makes UK great is we have risen up from the low to greatness EVERY TIME. To not take our lumps and presume that we are above it all would only knock us back further.
Play in Memorial, get the win and start the rise to greatness again Tuesday night!
Does anyone remember who won the NIT last year?
UK is a mid-level seed in a field of 32 to decide the 66th best college team in the country.
I see Barnhart expecting bonuses for himself and everyone!!
Ohio State beat Travis Ford and UMass in last year’s NIT final. Florida and Ole Miss were the other two teams to reach Madison Square Garden.
Wow the nit is becoming quite the SEC proving grounds. The two will soon be synonymous.
I was at the final men’s game in Memorial and it was special. Many people left early thinking it was over, but I stayed to the end. I then went back to the dorm and watched the replay…no ESPN Sportscenter highlights in those dark ages.
You also left out another Kentucky coaching connection in your article today. Leonard Hamilton, former assistant to Joe B Hall, has his Florida State team in.
We aren’t in the Big Dance. So we’re going to a sock hop. A lot of great basketball players played in that gym. Why not take it to Freedom Hall? Is Billy the kind of coach you want to remember walking the sides of the court when you think of Memorial?
But since we’re going to water down the schedule so we can praise Billy next year, not bury him, get ready. I believe Mitch we get as inventive as Billy is bringing down the program another notch.