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Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2008

No games in Rupp this season for UK women

The Kentucky women's basketball schedule was released Tuesday afternoon, and the biggest talk might be about where the team is not going to be playing when the season starts in November.

For the first time in the past six years, the UK women have opted not to play any home games in Rupp Arena.

Last season, they played five games at the downtown facility versus their normal home at Memorial Coliseum.

“I want us to kind of put our roots down,” Coach Matthew Mitchell said of the move to all games at Memorial Coliseum. “We want to try and establish a true home-court advantage, and Memorial Coliseum is our true home.”

Initially when Mitchell arrived at UK as an assistant under Coach Mickie DeMoss, they opted to start playing games in Rupp Arena as a recruiting tool and to give the players a chance to play at a big-time facility.

DeMoss argued at the time that opposing coaches would tell would-be UK recruits about old run-down Memorial Coliseum and that the separate men's and women's basketball facilities illustrated the university's lack of support for the women's program.

But all of that has changed, Mitchell said, noting the new Joe Craft Center, which is attached to the old arena as well as the refurbishing of Memorial Coliseum, which now has special lights, a new floor and video boards.

“Now, any reasonable person would be hard-pressed to say that our program is not the beneficiary of tremendous resources if they look at Memorial Coliseum,” he said.

Playing five games at Rupp last year was a strain on the players, who often felt as if they didn't have a home venue anymore. They'd play a game on the road, then go to Rupp, then go back on the road, then to Memorial Coliseum.

“I never felt like we were in one place long enough to get into a rhythm,” Mitchell said.

He also noted that Rupp Arena is a busy facility and it sometimes makes scheduling practices and games difficult.

The coach didn't rule out playing again at the downtown venue, just not this season.

Kentucky lost four senior starters from last year's 17-16 team, but Mitchell didn't soften his schedule this season.

Opponents include 17 teams that advanced to post-season tournaments, including 12 that went to the NCAA Tournament.

Top non-conference NCAA opponents include George Washington (Nov. 23) and games at Xavier (Dec. 2), at Western Kentucky (Dec. 4) and at Louisville (Dec. 14).

“Through experience, I believe playing good competition is the best way to find out how to get prepared for the Southeastern Conference,” Mitchell said.

UK also will meet four first-time opponents in Furman, Alabama A&M, UC Santa Barbara and Yale.

The SEC portion of the schedule includes two games against defending national champion Tennessee, and two games with Final Four team Louisiana State.