By TOMMY REZAC
St. Joseph Post
The day is nearly here.
Yes, the Missouri Western men’s basketball team has already played an exhibition. No, they don’t have an official game until November 11. But, it was announced 25 days ago that the Griffons will play a high level exhibition at one of the greatest college basketball venues.
At Rupp Arena. In Lexington, Kentucky. Against No. 4 Kentucky. On Sunday at 7 p.m. central.
It’s been well documented by now that Missouri Western men’s basketball coach Will Martin was a team manager at Kentucky for all four years of his undergrad - one year for Billy Gillespie and three years for Hall of Fame coach John Calipari.
In those three years, Martin was the head manager for a program that went to three Elite Eights, two Final Fours and a team that won the 2012 national championship. There’s one player from that championship team who’s now a second-year assistant at Missouri Western - Jon Hood - who says going against Coach Cal will be a unique experience.
"It's going to feel weird," he said. "But, very quickly we're going to try to make it another game. Just the next game. That's what our goal is. We'll see if it actually happens, though."
Another Missouri Western men's basketball assistant is Perry Stevenson, who worked with Martin for two seasons and played one season for Coach Cal during his playing career at Kentucky from 2006-2010.
A Lafayette, Louisiana native and former high school coach, Stevenson couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work with Will Martin again.
"I want to say it's been, what, almost 15 years now that I've known him," Stevenson said of Martin. "I've literally seen him grow up. We've seen each other grow up. I'm a little older than him, but we're around the same age. He's got that magnetic personality and he's one of those people you have to have in your life."
These coaches aren’t the only ones at Missouri Western with Kentucky history. Morehead State transfer and junior guard Julius Dixon has played Kentucky at Rupp Arena before - November 25, 2020 in the BlueGrass Showcase.
Morehead State lost 81-45, but Dixon led his team that day with 11 points and two made threes. Having gone to school just 65 miles away, Dixon knows well enough the history and prowess of Kentucky basketball.
"It was good," he said. "Good vibes, good atmosphere. I mean, everyone wants to play in Rupp Arena, Coach Cal. It was a good experience and I can't wait to go back."
There are story lines abound here. The Missouri Western head coach, a former Kentucky team manager, and two of his assistants, both former Kentucky players, going back to Rupp Arena to play a game against Coach Cal and a Wildcat team that’s perennially one of the best in the nation.
Coach Martin insists that this game Sunday is not about him, or Jon Hood, or Perry Stevenson. Or even Coach Cal. But, it's hard to ignore the magnitude of the opportunity and the unique story.
"This game is about our players," Martin said. "It's about our administration and Missouri Western. But, there's definitely going to be some cool story lines and it'll be a great opportunity to get back there."
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